State WIC exec under scrutiny

The state director of the Women, Infants and Children program has been placed on administrative leave while the agency investigates accusations of mismanagement and failure to abide by the law, officials said Monday.

Candace Jones, who has led the program for about two years, was placed on paid leave June 12, said Dr. Sandra Ford, head of the state Division of Public Health, which oversees the program.

“The accusations center on the WIC director and the operations of the program,” Ford said. She declined to identify the accusations.

But officials at the state Department of Community Health said the investigation focuses on mismanagement and failure to follow the law. DCH will soon take over the WIC program as part of the reorganization of state human service programs.

Georgia WIC, the nation’s fifth largest program of its kind, is a $250 million federally funded program that provides monthly vouchers for supplemental foods such as cereal, eggs, juice, milk, peanut butter and infant formula. It serves about 300,000 people.

Women enrolled in the program also receive nutrition counseling, breast-feeding support and referrals for other health and social services.

More than 1,600 authorized food retailers participate in the WIC food delivery system.

Ford said the investigation should conclude in a few weeks.

She noted that WIC “has had its struggles historically, but over the past year and a half there have been great improvements with access and a more rapid response.”

“I’m not sure there are any problems,” Ford said. “We’re merely investigating the accusations.”