WIC Program Overview and History

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a short-term intervention program designed to influence lifetime nutrition and health behaviors in a targeted, high-risk population. 

The Story of WIC

Who Can Participate in the WIC Program?

WIC is for low-income pregnant and post-partum women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk.

• Low-income: Applicants must have income at or below 185 percent of the U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines, or be enrolled in TANF, SNAP, or Medicaid.
• Nutrition risk: Applicants are screened by health professionals for 1) Medically-based risks such as anemia, underweight, smoking, maternal age, history of pregnancy complications, or poor pregnancy outcomes and 2) diet-based risks such as not consuming the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommended amount of protein or iron in their diet.

What are WIC Approved Foods?

WIC provides certain healthy foods to supplement the dietary needs of participants to ensure good health and development. See a list of WIC Foods, allowable alternatives, and the key nutrients they provide.

How is WIC Funded?

WIC is a public health nutrition program under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It is a domestic discretionary program funded annually through the U.S. Senate and House Appropriations Committee. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) drafts WIC’s annual budget proposal for the Federal fiscal year (Oct 1-Sept 30). Through the funding process Congress determines the level of funding that the Program will receive each year. Once the appropriation passes Congress and is signed into law, grants are provided to each state, and administered at the local level by county and city health centers, or private nonprofits. See details on how WIC funding is broken down in individual states.

What are WIC Health Outcomes?

Numerous studies show that WIC is effective and helps:

• Reduce premature births
• Reduce low and very low birth-weight babies
• Reduce fetal and infant deaths
• Reduce the incidence of low-iron anemia
• Increase access to prenatal care earlier in pregnancy
• Increase pregnant women’s consumption of key nutrients such as iron, protein, calcium, and Vitamins A and C
• Increase immunization rates
• Improve diet quality
• Increase access to regular health care