The high cost of food, fuel and general living expenses in Helena has put a strain on the city's most vulnerable citizens, along with the Women, Infants and Children program created to assist them.

Dorothy Bradshaw, division administrator for the community health program with the City-County Health Department, said that despite a growing dependence on WIC, funding for the program has remained flat, forcing the local office to consider changes.

Among them, Bradshaw said, the WIC office is working to increase efficiency to stretch its funding. It also may explore additional funding sources that could include asking the community for help.

"It's basic arithmetic," Bradshaw said. "When you have a limited or set amount of dollars to spend and the costs are going up, it's going to impact the program."

The gasoline average in Helena is now $3.18 a gallon, up from $2.30 a gallon over last year, while a gallon of milk costs nearly $4 a gallon. The cost for a dozen eggs has risen 80 percent over past year, while the price of cheese is up 17 percent.

What's more, NorthWestern Energy is in the process of increasing both electric and gas rates. In August, city commissioners approved a 10.6 percent increase in the street maintenance fee, a 5.3 percent increase in sewer rates, and a 2.5 percent cost-of-living increase in various other fees, including water and residential garbage.

"We see demand for WIC increasing," Bradshaw said. "But funding levels from the feds has stayed flat for some time. We're at this place now where you have rising food costs and rising costs of business. What happens now?"

In Montana, WIC is offered through 27 local agencies, with services available to more than 22,000 clients.

Locally, the program serves about 1,100 people each month, a 5 percent increase over last year.

Maggie Pataja, who works at the local WIC office, said many Helena mothers who are aided by the program are faced with difficult choices, such as staying home with the kids and collecting welfare, or going to work and paying the high cost of daycare, which leaves little money to buy food and cover other expenses.

"Some of the moms say that if it wasn't for WIC, they wouldn't have groceries at the end of the month," said Pataja. "We're just a support between having no food and having something like cereal or juice in the cupboard."

Joan Bowser, state WIC director, said the rising cost of food began impacting the state's WIC budget in August. With no funding increase expected from the federal government, the state office, like the local office, is faced with making changes to stretch its budget.

Starting next March, the program will require participants to purchase the lowest cost brand for each approved product. It has reduced the amount of milk clients receive in their food package.

The state office also will ask WIC offices to tailor food packages to the needs of each individual to reduce waste. While organic foods were initially dropped from the program, the state office will continue to allow them.

"WIC officials will continue to allow organic foods and look at alternate ways the program can reduce costs while it continues to face the potential for budget shortfalls if food prices continue to rise, while federal program funding does not," Bowser said. "Although removing organic foods would save the program some money, it's difficult to calculate exactly how much. For the time being, we're going to step back and study the issue further."

Bradshaw estimated that nearly $44,000 is spent each month in local grocery stores through WIC's food program, amounting to an average of $40 per WIC client.

The program aims to provide nutritional education, community referral, and supplementary food packages for pregnant women and families with children 5 years and younger.

Bradshaw said every $1 spent in WIC within the community saves about $3 in Medicaid expenditures.

"As gas prices rise, as food prices rise, as the cost of living goes up, more and more people will need the help of WIC," Bradshaw said. "This improves the health of the whole community, and it's a good economic tool."

Reporter Martin Kidston: 447-4086 or mkidston@helenair.com