eWIC card services were expanded Friday in Essex, Franklin and Clinton counties for more than 3,300 participants.

eWIC cards work like debit cards, allowing faster and easier shopping with WIC benefits, and reimburses WIC vendors faster. eWIC also now allows families to roll over unused benefits toward future purchases within the same month.

WIC provides food, education and advice, breastfeeding support and health care referrals to eligible New York families with young children and pregnant women.

The release of eWIC in Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties coincided with eWIC expansion in Warren, Washington, Hamilton, Montgomery, Saratoga, Columbia, Delaware, Fulton, Greene, Otsego, and Schoharie counties. Friday’s release follows previous launches in Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer counties this past spring.

“The importance of a well-balanced meal cannot be understated, and having access to healthy food is a right for all New Yorkers,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a press release. “eWIC will truly transform the lives of those who rely on the WIC program, making it more convenient than ever for New Yorkers to feed their families.”

WIC serves more than 400,000 women, infants and children per month with services provided at 400 clinics statewide. WIC food benefits can be redeemed at approximately 3,000 authorized stores. WIC is funded and monitored by the USDA. The USDA has mandated that all states adopt eWIC technology by the year 2020.

“As a mother I can’t imagine the pain of knowing you don’t have the ability to give your child their next meal,” said Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul. “We have already heard from grateful families about the difference that the eWIC technology has made in ensuring they have access to nutritious food, without the shame that can be felt holding up a grocery line using an outdated system. By bringing the WIC system into the 21st century, we’re enhancing this critical benefits program and promoting convenient shopping for all New Yorkers.”

Caregivers of young children — including fathers, grandparents, foster parents and others — may apply for WIC benefits for their infants and young children. Many working families qualify and individuals who are already enrolled in Medicaid, SNAP or TANF automatically meet the income qualifications for WIC. To find a local clinic call the Growing Up Healthy Hotline at 1-800-522-5006, visit the New York State Department of Health website at www.health.ny.gov/wic, or use the WIC2Go mobile application.

For more information on eWIC, families can visit www.health.ny.gov/wic and vendors can visit www.nyswicvendors.com.