Women, Infants and Children(WIC)

What is WIC?

WIC is a nutrition program that helps families eat well and stay healthy by providing:

• Nutrition education
• One-on-one counseling about nutrition
• WIC EBT card to buy healthy foods
• Support and help with breastfeeding
• Referrals to health care and other programs

Who is eligible for WIC services?

• Pregnant women
• Women who are breastfeeding a baby under 1 year of age
• Women who have had a baby in the past six months
• Parents, step-parents, guardians, and foster parents of infants and children under the age of 5 can apply for their children

How to become a WIC participant:

Meet the income guidelines.  Households with incomes at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty income level are eligible.

Be at nutritional risk.  WIC clients receive an additional health and diet screening at a WIC clinic to determine nutritional risk.

Live in Texas.  WIC clients usually receive services in the county where they live.  U.S. citizenship is not a requirement for eligibility.

What will I learn about nutrition?

Women

• How and why to breastfeed
• How to take care of yourself during your pregnancy and after you have your baby
• Ways to encourage physical activity for you and your family

Infants

• How to breastfeed
• When and how to introduce solid foods
• How to keep your baby healthy with good nutrition

Children

• How to keep your child healthy with nutritional foods
• Fun ways for children to stay active

What happens at my WIC appointments?

Weight, height, and iron screening will be performed at initial appointments for all applicants. A nutritionist will evaluate diet and health history to determine nutritional status, and give tips to be healthy and active.

At other times you will join a group of WIC participants to discuss, share and learn about a variety of nutrition topics which can help you and your family stay healthy and active.

Pregnant participants will visit a breastfeeding peer counselor at some appointments to discuss benefits and questions about breastfeeding.

What do I need to do to stay on WIC?

At some appointments your WIC staff will check to see if you or your child is still eligible for WIC. This is called re-certification.

You will need to bring:

• WIC EBT card or identification
• Proof of income
• Proof of address
• The person(s) being re-certified

How long can I stay on WIC?

If you meet the income and nutrition need:

Infants and Children can stay on WIC until their 5^th birthday.

Women can stay on WIC if breastfeeding until one year after the baby is born. If not breastfeeding, until six months after the baby is born.

What foods do I get on WIC?

• Milk
• Cheese
• Eggs
• Dried beans or canned beans
• Peanut butter
• 100% fruit juice
• Canned tuna and Salmon are for breastfeeding women who are not giving their babies formula.
• Infants who are not breastfed receive Iron-fortified infant *formula, baby cereal and baby fruits and vegetables.  (baby meats are only given to exclusively breastfed infants)
• Cereal
• Frozen fruits and vegetables or fresh fruit and vegetables

What should I do to help the WIC program work for me?

• Keep your appointments with WIC. If you cannot keep an appointment, please call your local WIC office as soon as possible to reschedule.
• Always take your WIC EBT card to your WIC appointments.
• Take the Texas WIC approved Foods Brochure with you to the grocery store to help you choose the right foods.
• WIC foods cannot be returned to the store for money or sold to someone else.
• Tell the WIC staff about any changes in your name, address or phone number.
• If you are going to move from the area, be sure to tell your WIC staff.
• If you have a comment about WIC services call 1-800-942-3678.

How to become a WIC client

• Call your local clinic. Make an appointment to see if you and/or your household can become WIC clients.
• Bring proof of income. Medicaid, TANF, and Food Stamp recipients qualify for income eligibility.

For each person in your house who has income, bring one of these items:

• Pay stub that shows “gross income”
• Current tax records
• Letter signed and dated from employer stating gross income
• Proof of Social Security benefits
• Alimony or child-support payments
• Other proof (check with clinic)

Bring one of the items below for proof of where you and your household members live:

• Rent receipt
• Utility bill
• Other proof (check with clinic) NOTE: PO Boxes are not accepted as proof of address.

Bring one of the items below for proof of identification for each person applying for WIC benefits:

• Driver’s license
• Social Security Card
• Birth certificate
• School ID or work ID
• Other proof (check with clinic)

Each woman, infant and child who wants to apply for WIC benefits must come to the appointment.

Additional information about WIC can be found at the WIC Website: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/wichd