Well, for 4 1/2 years, we have received WIC without any problem with vaccination records. They asked for a notarized statement of my religious basis for not vaccinating, and then asked that I get a statement from our pediatrician saying that he was aware that the children were not vaccinated. Those have been kept on file.
When I called to reschedule an appt., a new WIC worker told me he would not allow my chiildren to receive any further WIC coupons unless they were (1) fully vaccinated or (2) I gave him a letter from a rabbi or priest stating that our religious forbade vaccination. He told me the letters on file were meaningless because I had to bring in new documentation every time. (Yes, apparently our pediatrician may have forgotten that he was aware my children weren't vaccinated.) I told him that what he required was unconstitutional. He replied that was what he required.
I have printouts from the USDA website stating that WIC benefits are in no way tied to vaccinations -- they just try to encourage vaccinations. I also have a printout from the Ill. Dept. of Public Health in conjunction with the Ill State Board of Ed. stating that the supreme court permits personally held religious beliefs for a basis and a person cannot be required to belong (or not to belong to a particular sect) in order to be religiously exempt. It also instructs to ask for a statement from the parent about the basis of their religious exemption.
I'll bring those in. How do you suggest handling this? Our appt. is Wed.
When I called to reschedule an appt., a new WIC worker told me he would not allow my chiildren to receive any further WIC coupons unless they were (1) fully vaccinated or (2) I gave him a letter from a rabbi or priest stating that our religious forbade vaccination. He told me the letters on file were meaningless because I had to bring in new documentation every time. (Yes, apparently our pediatrician may have forgotten that he was aware my children weren't vaccinated.) I told him that what he required was unconstitutional. He replied that was what he required.
I have printouts from the USDA website stating that WIC benefits are in no way tied to vaccinations -- they just try to encourage vaccinations. I also have a printout from the Ill. Dept. of Public Health in conjunction with the Ill State Board of Ed. stating that the supreme court permits personally held religious beliefs for a basis and a person cannot be required to belong (or not to belong to a particular sect) in order to be religiously exempt. It also instructs to ask for a statement from the parent about the basis of their religious exemption.
I'll bring those in. How do you suggest handling this? Our appt. is Wed.
I have never had a problem with WIC before.. Sometimes one of the workers will print off the kids Vax record and ask me about it but I just tell them that we don't vax.
What he is trying to tell you goes against the WIC rules they can want whatever but they cannot require anything that isnt in the rules.
