Women, Infants and Children

The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program provides nutritional and health care assistance to eligible low-income pregnant or breastfeeding women, infants and children up to age five.

WIC Eligibility

Eligibility for WIC is based on residence, income levels and risk levels. You must be a resident of New York State to receive WIC benefits. You must be low income, but eligibility does not depend on your assets. To qualify, you must be at risk nutritionally, which means you must have a medical or dietary condition that causes you to have a poor diet. There are no immigration status requirements for WIC.

WIC Benefits

WIC provides a variety of benefits and services. There is a food package which provides food and food vouchers to participants. There is also a breastfeeding and support benefit that offers counseling and support services, as well as necessary items, like breast pumps. WIC also provides nutrition education and assistance with purchasing food from farmers’ markets.

Legal Editor: Lisa Pearlstein, City Bar Justice Center