An outreach program to low-income, high risk populations through WIC

Through a special New York State legislative grant, we were able to produce brochures in Spanish and Haitian French, and to train WIC Staff, Public Health Nurses and Healthy Neighborhood staff in poison prevention. This study involved all the WIC sites in our seven county region, who reach a population of over 10,000 families who have been identified as low income, high-risk individuals in a survey conducted by the American Red Cross. Pre-test showed that the staff knew of the Poison Center but had not instructed clients in poison prevention. Post-testing of WIC staff showed a significant increase in knowledge about poison prevention and increase in the frequency of client instruction. The main thrust of this program was to assure that the phone number of the Poison Center was prominently posted in each home and that clients knew that the Poison Center was available 24 h every day in a poison emergency.