Women Infant & Children (WIC)

WIC is a special food and nutrition education program for Women, Infants, and Children.

WIC provides:

• Nutritious foods
• Nutrition education and counseling
• Breastfeeding support
• Referrals for health care
• Health screenings

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Eligibility

To be eligible for WIC, you must be:

• A pregnant woman
• A breastfeeding woman
• A woman who has recently been pregnant
• An infant or child under 5 years old

You may also be eligible for WIC if you had a miscarriage

To be eligible, you must also:

• Have a low or moderate income; see our Income Guidelines
• Have a special nutrition need
• You do not have to be on a public assistance program to be eligible for the WIC program. See our more detailed information on Eligibility.

To apply for WIC:

• Call the WIC office in your area.
• To find out the phone number of the WIC office near you, call Toll Free 1-800-342-3556.
• Tell the staff at the local WIC office that you want to apply for the WIC program. They will make an appointment for a "WIC certification visit" for each family member applying for WIC. At the certification visit, you will find out if you and/or your family members are eligible for the WIC program.

If you have difficulty understanding English or have a disability, free language assistance or other aids and services are available upon request.

Health Information Required When Applying for WIC

For each family member applying for WIC, you will need:

• Height and weight measurements
• Hemoglobin or hematocrit blood test

These tests may be performed at the WIC clinic. However, you may bring height and weight measurements from the doctor, but they must be taken within 60 days of the WIC certification visit. The blood test must be taken within 90 days of the WIC certification visit. Infants less than 6 months old do not need a blood test.

Ask your doctor or health clinic to fill out a WIC Medical Referral Form with this health information. One form should be filled out for each family member applying for WIC. Bring the form to the WIC office when you come for your WIC certification visit. If you don't have a doctor, the WIC office will let you know how you can get the health information needed.