New Mexico has taken an unprecedented step in fighting child hunger by becoming the first state to combine two specific health services.

The state’s Human Services Department (HSD) will partner with the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program to identify families eligible to receive the available assistance, a report by KOAT. HSD will use an automated service through Microsoft to determine families that meet the criteria for eligibility set by WIC and refer them to the organization.

WIC “provides federal grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age 5 who are found to be at nutritional risk,” the organization's website said.

Dr. David R. Screase, Human Services Department and Department of Health secretary, told KOAT that families would come to the department for assistance but not be aware they also qualified for WIC services. The new partnership will make it easier to identify those who are eligible and provide clarity for those seeking assistance.

"The interface between the two departments is a game changer for providing continuity of services in New Mexico and the rest of the country," New Mexico WIC and farmer market Director Sarah Flores-Sievers, told KOAT.