WIC: Receiving food assistance

In simple terms, the WIC program provides free staple items like milk, bread, baby formula, yogurt, cereal, and cheese, and other food to pregnant women and new mothers.  Want to know how to apply for WIC assistance? Read on...

Officially, The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (commonly known as WIC) is an assistance program regulated by the federal government under Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), a division of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).Their stated mission is "To safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care."

Traditionally, ideal candidates for WIC are low-income and nutritionally at-risk pregnant women, breast-feeding women (Up to infant's first birthday) and non-breastfeeding postpartum mothers (Up to 6 months after birth of infant), and children ages 5 years and younger. The program is available nationwide, but differs slightly by state and region. Research has proven that the assistance WIC has provided to the mothers and children in need has reduced infant mortality & fetal death rates, improved growth rates of underprivileged children.

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How does it work?

In the majority of WIC state agencies and offices, beneficiaries recieve checks or food instruments to purchase only specific foods that provide maximum nutritional benefits for a person's specific dietary needs(Example:Soy baby formula for a lactose intolerant infant). Some agencies have private warehouses and give the food directly to participants. WIC program food must have high daily value percentages in AT LEAST one of the following categories: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium,Protein, & Iron. At the grocery store, items that can be gotten through WIC checks display a sign that says "WIC approved item" on the shelf. Common foods on the WIC program plan include eggs, milk, cheese, tuna, peas, carrots, peanut butter, fruit and vegetable juice, dried beans and fortified cereals. For infants that are not breastfed, infant formula can be gotten through the WIC program. You can also get fresh fruits and vegetable at an approved farmers market via the Farmers Market Nutrition Program.

How do i apply to participate in the WIC program?

In order to benefit from the program, you must meet four areas of eligibility

• Catergorical
  • Catergorical simply means you must you either be a woman (Pregnant, postpartum, or breastfeeding) or child under 5 years of age.
• Residential
  • Applicants must live in the State in which they apply. 
• Income
  • You have to make less than a certain amount of overall income. You are automatically eligible in the income area if you receive Medicaid or other medical benefits, are on food stamps, receive benefits from TANF (Temporary assistance for needy families), or any other approved state agency
• Nutrition Risk
  • Your nutritional risk will be evaluated during an appointment by any number of different standards.

 To start the application process, you need to setup an appointment with your local office.  Once you have scheduled an appointment, employees at the offices will assist you with the rest of the application process. Do bear in mind that sometimes the WIC agencies do not have enough money to assist everybody that is eligible, and you may be placed on a waiting list, but this shouldn't be a huge problem because WIC is a temporary short term program.

For the most recent version of the list of toll free numbers to these offices , please see this page on the USDA web site..