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WIC
What is WIC?
- Serves Women, Infants, and Children at risk for poor nutrition/nourishment.
- Provides nutritious foods, nutrition counseling, and referrals to health and other social services
- All services are at no charge.
What is nutrition risk?
Medically-based:
- anemia, underweight, maternal age, history of pregnancy complications, or poor pregnancy outcomes.
Diet-based:
- inadequate diets, one where everything the body needs to be well-fed is not received.
Food benefits
WIC offers:
- checks or vouchers to purchase specific foods each month to improve the diets of women, infants and children.
- The foods provided are high in: protein, calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C depending on the diet needs of the person.
Foods included in the WIC program are:
- iron-fortified infant formula and infant cereal
- iron-fortified adult cereal
- vitamin C-rich fruit or vegetable juice
- eggs, milk, cheese, peanut butter
- dried beans/peas
- tuna fish and carrots
Who is eligible?
- Pregnant women
- Through pregnancy
- Up to 6 weeks after birth
- Women who recently gave birth
- Breastfeeding women
- Up to baby's 1st birthday
- Babies up to 1 yr. old
- Children up to 5 yrs. old
- Women, infants, and children living in households below the poverty line
- Women, infants, and children who have any family members already participating in benefit programs (Medicaid, food stamps, TANF, or others)
Income Eligibility Guidelines
| Number of household members |
Monthly household income |
Yearly household income |
| 1 |
$0 up to $1,385 |
$0 up to $16,613 |
| 2 |
$0 up to $1,869 |
$0 up to $22,422 |
| 3 |
$0 up to $2,353 |
$0 up to $28,231 |
| 4 |
$0 up to $2,837 |
$0 up to $34,040 |
| 5 |
$0 up to $3,321 |
$0 up to $39,849 |
| 6 |
$0 up to $3,805 |
$0 up to $45,658 |
| 7 |
$0 up to $4,289 |
$0 up to $51,467 |
| 8 |
$0 up to $4,773 |
$0 up to $57,276 |
Priority Levels
The government only puts aside a specific amount of money a year for WIC. That means that not everyone who is eligible receives WIC, only the number that the government separated money for. A "priority" system has been established to give help to those who need it the most.
- pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and infants determined to be at nutritional risk because of a nutrition-related medical condition
- infants up to 6 months of age whose mothers participated in WIC or could have participated and had a serious medical problem
- children at nutritional risk because of a nutrition-related medical problem
- pregnant or breastfeeding women and infants at nutritional risk because of an inadequate dietary pattern
- children at nutritional risk because of an inadequate dietary pattern
- non-breastfeeding, postpartum (after birth) women with any nutritional risk
- Individuals at nutritional risk only because they are homeless or migrants, and current participants who, without WIC foods, could continue to have medical and/or dietary problems
Who provides WIC?
- Hospital, county health departments and mobile clinics
- Schools
- Public housing sites
- Migrant health centers and camps
- Indian Health Services facilities
How can you apply?
To apply, you need to contact your state or local agency to set up an appointment.
Texas
1-800-942-3678 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday
Texas Department of Health
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
1100 West 49th Street
Austin, Texas 78756-3199
http://www.tdh.state.tx.us/wichd
For information on another state, follow this link to find your local agency:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/Contacts/statealpha.HTM
What you need to take to your first appointment:
- Documents (paycheck stub, recent tax return, or letter from employer) for everyone in your family who works or has a source of income. However, if anyone in your family is receiving other services, bring proof of participation instead of other income documents.
- Documents of where you live (utility bill, rent receipt, or business letter).
- Get a physical exam to determine nutritional risk.
You can look over the forms you need and print them:
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