How to Apply for WIC

The Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Program is offered by Food and Nutrition Services under the U.S. Department of Agriculture to women who are pregnant, recently postpartum or within the first year of breastfeeding. The program also is available for children up to age five who meet eligibility requirements. Application is limited to those women and children who meet state mandated categorical, residential, income and nutritional risk criteria.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Contact your state or local WIC agency. Determine the eligibility requirements. Applicants must meet all the federal poverty guidelines for income standards and have permanent residency established in the state in which they're applying, updated vaccinations and legal parental rights for each child applicant. Schedule an appointment to apply.

2. Gather the proof required for an application. These items of proof include: identification, income reporting, residence addressed utility bill or bank statement, social security numbers, medical records, parental or guardianship rights to any child applicant and possibly a marriage license.

3. Bring all applying family members and the necessary paperwork to the application appointment. A WIC program agent verifies the documentation.

4. Wait to find out the status of the application on the day of the appointment. Receive date stamped vouchers, if approved, every two to three months in person from the agency. You can use the vouchers to purchase specified nutritional items.

Tips & Warnings

• Each woman and child are individual applicants for the purpose of applying to WIC. Applicants don't need to be on any other public assistance program to be eligible. However, participation in other public assistance programs grants automatic eligibility based on income.
• If a WIC participant moves to a different agency's jurisdiction, they must re-apply to the WIC program. If they move while on a waiting list, the participant is placed at the top of the new agency's list if still eligible.
• There may be a waiting lists because a WIC agency doesn't have enough funding to serve all the needs of the community.

Resources

• Eligibility requirements and links to local WIC agencies.

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