The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) aims to protect the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age five who are at nutrition risk. The WIC Program provides nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care.
WIC is managed at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, which aims to reduce hunger and increase food security among children and low-income families. WIC services are administered by 90 WIC state agencies and through approximately 47,000 authorized retailers. Curious about becoming a WIC authorized retailer? Contact your state agency today.
What is provided with WIC?
WIC provides more than just nutritious foods to supplement diets to families in need. WIC also has nutrition education services and counseling through WIC clinics, and WIC programs provide other helpful services including screening and referrals to health, welfare, and social services. Learn more about these programs by visiting your state’s WIC page.
Who does WIC serve?
WIC serves many people from varying backgrounds and currently covers 53% of all infants born in the United States. WIC provides benefits to the following individuals:
- Women who are:
- Pregnant (during pregnancy and up to 6 weeks after the birth of an infant or the end of the pregnancy
- Postpartum (up to six months after the birth of the infant or the end of the pregnancy)
- Breastfeeding (up to the infant's first birthday)
- Infants (up to the infant's first birthday)
- Children (up to the child's fifth birthday
To be accepted into the WIC Program, individuals must meet the income guidelines, a state residency requirement, and be determined individually to be at nutritional risk by a health professional. To be eligible based on income, the individual’s income must fall at or below 185% of the U.S. poverty income guidelines.
What is nutritional risk?
Physicians recognize two major types of nutritional risk to determine WIC eligibility:
- Medically-based risks (designated as high priority) such as anemia, underweight, maternal age, history of pregnancy complications, or poor pregnancy outcomes
- Diet-based risks
Nutritional risk must be determined by a medical professional such as a physician, nutritionist, or nurse, and is based on federal guidelines. This health screening is offered at no cost to program applicants.
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has defined nutritional risk criteria for state agencies for participation within the WIC Program. The criteria were developed by both the FNS and local WIC agency experts to best suit the population it serves. WIC state agencies are not required to use all the nutritional risk criteria on the list.
How do I apply to participate in WIC?
We encourage you to check your eligibility by using the Benefits.gov Benefit Finder tool or using the shortened questionnaire on the WIC Program page.
To apply to be a WIC participant, you will need to apply through your state; contact your state or local agency to set up an appointment. To set up an appointment, find your state's website or call the toll-free number. If you call to set up an appointment, a coordinator will inform you of the nearest location to your home and instruct you on what to bring to your appointment.
