Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Program Description
The WIC Program provides supplemental foods, nutrition education and referrals to health care, at no cost, to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk. To be fully eligible for the WIC Program, applicants must be determined by a health professional, at no cost, to be at nutritional risk (i.e., have certain medical-based or diet-based conditions such as anemia, underweight, overweight, history of pregnancy complications, or failure to meet the dietary guidelines).

General Program Requirements
Pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants, and children up to 5 years of age are eligible if they: 1) are individually determined by a health professional to be at nutrition risk; (2) meet a State residency requirement; and, 3) meet an income standard, or are determined automatically income eligible. A person who participates or has family members who participate in certain other benefit programs, such as the Food Stamp Program, Medicaid or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, automatically meets the income eligibility requirement. Please see the following Web Site for the income standard or maximum income limit for WIC eligibility: http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/howtoapply/incomeguidelines.htm

Application Process
For more information, see the Program Contact Information below.

Program Contact Information
For more information about this program and how to apply, contact the WIC Agency in your state. Contact information for each state agency, including toll-free numbers, can be found here:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/Contacts/statealpha.HTM

Managing Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/

usa.gov