DeKalb County to issue eWIC cards starting Oct. 11

The entire state is moving towards the eWIC cards to make shopping easier for those in the program.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Editors note: The video above is previous coverage on Georgia switching to eWIC cards.

Those enrolled in Georgia's WIC program in DeKalb County can say goodbye to their paper vouchers and start receiving their benefits on a card.

Starting on Oct. 11, the county will begin issuing eWIC cards to all residents in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children to buy their approved foods. 

“This is an excellent and long-awaited technological evolution for the WIC Program,” DeKalb County Board of Health WIC Program Manager Courtney Underwood said.

The eWIC card works like a debit card by swiping it at the checkout and using a PIN. DeKalb County noted that since the cards will likely arrive in waves to participants that they should "continue to use paper vouchers until they receive an eWIC card at their next appointment."

“The implementation of eWIC allows our participants to obtain the nourishing foods for themselves and their children, without being stigmatized at the checkout counter for holding up the line," Underwood said.

There are a few other counties/cities that plan to issue cards on Oct. 11, according to the department: Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale counties, plus Gainesville and Athens. Georiga made the decision to switch the entire state to the cards in July with hopes that the rollout would be done at the end of October. 

RELATED: Georgia switching to debit cards to deliver WIC benefits

Roughly 200,000 women and children in Georgia take advantage of WIC benefits every year, and that number has the potential to increase with a switch to debit cards. In a 2019 study of states that had implemented the program, there was an 8% increase in participation over three years.

Georgia has long offered an electronic benefits card for the separately administered and larger Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a program still called food stamps from when benefits were delivered on paper.