Having a baby can be very expensive, and for those who are already low-income, the costs of those first years can be overwhelming. But there are government assistance programs available to help bridge that gap, specifically aimed at mothers and young children. Let’s take a look at the WIC program.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children — commonly referred to as WIC — is a federal program run by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The mission and purpose of the program is to provide extra support to keep low income families healthy from the moment a woman discovers she’s pregnant until her child turns five.
Started as a pilot program in 1972, as of November 2025, WIC is available in all 50 states, 33 Indian Tribal Organizations, American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. While it’s a federal program, it’s administered by state agencies.
In 2025, WIC served an annual average of 6,864,000 people.
WIC Facts:
If you participate in another assistance program you may be automatically income-eligible for WIC.
Breastfeeding mothers are eligible to participate in WIC longer than non-breastfeeding mothers.
More than half of the infants in the U.S. participate in WIC.
WIC participants support the local economy through their purchases. WIC works with farmers markets to help increase participants’ access to fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables.
The WIC program provides a variety of healthy foods to help supplement the diets of participants with specific nutrients and help women and young children eat better. They also provide resources like breastfeeding support, community-based food and medical services, and tailored nutrition education that includes:
Personalized shopping advice
Kid-friendly meal planning
Tips for picky eaters
Help with food allergies and special dietary needs
WIC is specifically aimed at assisting:
Women who are currently pregnant, postpartum (up to 6 months after the end of a pregnancy), or breastfeeding (up to the infant’s first birthday)
Infants
Children (up to their fifth birthday)
For those who are eligible, you must also demonstrate two things: nutrition risk and income requirements.
There are two major types of nutrition risks recognized for WIC eligibility. Medically based risks include conditions like anemia, being underweight, a history of pregnancy complications, or poor pregnancy outcomes. Dietary risks include inappropriate nutrition and feeding practices or a failure to meet the current U.S. Dietary Guidelines.
Income requirements vary by state and the size of your family, but if you’re already receiving Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF, you may already be income eligible. If you’re not sure, you should reach out to your local WIC agency to talk with someone who can help you check what the requirements are in your state.
In an ideal situation, everyone who applies and qualifies for the WIC program would get the fullest extent of their approved benefits. In a case where WIC cannot serve everyone, there is a priority system that most state agencies use:
Pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and infants determined to be at nutritional risk because of serious medical problems
Infants up to 6 months of age whose mothers participated in WIC or could have participated and had serious medical problems
Children (up to age 5) at nutritional risk because of serious medical problems
Pregnant or breastfeeding women and infants at nutritional risk because of dietary problems (like poor diet)
Children (up to age 5) at nutritional risk because of dietary problems
Non-breastfeeding postpartum 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
The first step is to determine your eligibility. The USDA has an Eligibility Tool to check whether you or children in your care are likely to be eligible for WIC.
If you are eligible, you will then reach out to your local WIC agency. You can generally do that either over the phone or online, and they will help you start the application process. They’ll schedule you for an appointment to complete all the necessary paperwork, and you may need to bring documentation like:
Information on each person who will be enrolling in WIC, including babies and kids under 5 years old
Identification such as a driver’s license or state ID, passport, birth certificate, employer or school ID, health benefits card, or crib card for each person who will be enrolling in WIC
Proof of address such as a recent bill that verifies your current address (since you must enroll through a WIC office in your area)
Documentation of EITHER:
Your enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Proof of income such as recent paychecks, your latest tax return, or a letter/note from your employer
Once you’ve applied and officially been approved, WIC trained staff will walk you through how it works, what benefits you can access, and how that looks in your day-to-day life.
Women and young children are among the most vulnerable populations in the U.S. in terms of food insecurity. In 2024, 36.8% of households with children raised by a single mother were food insecure. WIC helps to prevent food insecurity by providing support to women and their children from pregnancy through age five. The program has been linked to lower healthcare costs and decreased odds of low birth-weight newborns, making it one of the most cost-effective food assistance programs in the country. And if you qualify, it can be an absolute lifeline.