To receive WIC services, applicants must meet four eligibility criteria:

Am I eligible?

1. Live in a residential area served by the WIC agency:
    • WIC services are available throughout Minnesota.
    • Each WIC agency in Minnesota serves a specific geographical area or special population.

2. Be in a category served by WIC:
    • Pregnant woman.
    • Breastfeeding woman with an infant under 12 months of age.
    • Non-breastfeeding woman up to 6 months of postpartum.
    • Infant under 12 months of age.
    • Child 1 to 5 years of age.
Note: Fathers, grandparents, foster parents or other guardians may apply for WIC for their children.

3. Have an income below the WIC Income Guidelines. 

4. Have a nutrition risk— a health condition or nutrition need that can be helped with nutritious WIC foods and nutrition education. Some examples include:
    • Anemia (low blood iron).
    • Pregnant teen.
    • Poor growth.
    • Health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure.
    • Food allergies.
    • Medical problems like hepatitis, cancer and eating disorders.

What services does WIC provide?

The WIC Program is committed to serving all eligible participants. When needed, WIC will make available bilingula staff, interpreters and materials in other languages and formats.

Nutrition Education
When families have nutritious food and practice better eating habits, they are healthier. WIC offers nutrition education to all WIC participants and their families. Through WIC nutrition education, families learn to make healthful food and lifestyle choices. WIC nutrition education is participant-centered, designed to meet the needs and interest of each participant.

Breastfeeding Education and Support
Breastfeeding is the healthiest feeding choice for both mother and infant, and it is the way babies were meant to bed fed. As a public health program, one of WIC's roles is to promote and support breastfeeding. WIC does this by:
    • Providing education to women about breastfeeding — during  pregnancy and after delivery.
    • Training breastfeeding specialists and breastfeeding peer counselors to help women with breastfeeding
       questions and concerns
    • Participating in community efforts to support breastfeeding.
    • Providing additional food to women who are exclusively breastfeeding to meet their increased nutrition needs.
    • Providing breast pumps to women who need to pump their milk.

All employees in WIC have a role in breastfeeding promotion. You will learn more about your roled in the WIC training module on breastfeeding.

Healthy Foods
An important benefit of WIC, are the nutritious foods available to participants. WIC gives participants special vouchers to buy nutritious foods at the stores. Each participant receives a set of vouchers for each month they are on WIC.

The foods that WIC provides help meet the special nutrition needs of pregnant and breastfeeding women and growing children. WIC foods are high in protein, calcium, iron and vitamins. The foods WIC provides are meant to supplement the participant's diet; WIC does not provide all the food and nutrients that a participant needs. The foods each WIC participant receives will vary, depending on their "category" (e.g., pregnant; breastfeeding; etc) and their particular nutritional needs.

The basic foods WIC provides include:

Referrals to other health and social service programs

Partnerships with other public health and social service programs are a key to WIC's success. WIC encourages all participants to receive complete health care.

WIC refers participants to health care services such as:
    • Prenatal care
    • Well-child care
    • Family planning
    • Immunizations
    • Breastfeeding counselors
    • Community health nurses
    • Drug and alcohol counseling
    • Mental health clinics

WIC also refers participants to social services programs such as:
    • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps)
    • Food Shelves
    • Emergency shelters and housing
    • Public assistance
    • Domestic violence programs
    • Head Start
    • Parenting classes

WIC refers participants who are not already receiving Medical Assistance, to that program. WIC also refers particpants who might be behind on immunizations to their health care provider.