The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children - better known as the WIC Program - serves to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, & children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care.
Population Served:
The WIC target populations are low-income, nutritionally at risk:
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Pregnant women (through pregnancy and up to 6 weeks after birth or after pregnancy ends).
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Breastfeeding women (up to infant’s 1st birthday)
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Non-breastfeeding postpartum women (up to 6 months after the birth of an infant or after pregnancy ends)
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Infants (up to 1st birthday). WIC serves 45 percent of all infants born in the United States
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Children up to their 5th birthday.
Benefits:
The following benefits are provided to WIC participants:
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Supplemental nutritious foods
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Nutrition education and counseling at WIC clinics
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Screening and referrals to other health, welfare and social services
WIC Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:
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Categorical
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Residential
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Income
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Nutrition Risk
Categorical Requirement:
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Women
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-- 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)
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Infants
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(up to the infant's first birthday)
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Children
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(up to the child's fifth birthday)
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Residential Requirement:
Applicants must live in the State in which they apply.
Income Requirement:
To be eligible for WIC, applicants must have income at or below an income level or standard set by the State agency or be determined automatically income-eligible based on participation in certain programs.
Nutrition Risk Requirement:
Applicants must be seen by a health professional such as a physician, nurse, or nutritionist who must determine whether the individual is at nutrition risk. In many cases, this is done in the WIC clinic at no cost to the applicant. However, this information can be obtained from another health professional such as the applicant's physician.