| Eligibility
Requirements |
WIC
applicants must
meet eligibility
requirements
under the
following Categorical,
Residential,
Income
and Nutrition
Risk
considerations...
| CATEGORICAL |
The
WIC
Program
is
designed
to
serve
certain
categories
of
women,
infants,
and
children. |
| Women |
- Pregnant
(during
and
up
to
6
weeks
after
the
birth
of
an
infant
or
the
end
of
the
pregnancy)
- Postpartum
(up
to
six
months
after
the
birth
of
the
infant
or
the
end
of
the
pregnancy)
- Breastfeeding
(up
to
the
infant's
first
birthday)
|
Infants
|
Up
to
first
birthday
|
| Children |
Up
to
fifth
birthday
|
| |
| RESIDENTIAL |
Applicants
must live
in the
State
in
which
they
apply.
Applicants
served
in areas
where
WIC is
administered
by an
Indian
Tribal
Organization
(ITO)
must meet
residency
requirements
established
by the
ITO. Under
State
agency
option,
applicants
may be
required
to live
in a
local
service
area
and
apply at
a WIC
clinic
that
serves
that
area.
Applicants
are not
required
to live
in the
State or
local
service
area for
a
certain
amount
of time
in order
to meet
the WIC
residency
requirement. |
| |
| INCOME |
Applicants
must
have
income
at or
below an
income
level or
standard
set by
the
State
agency
or be
determined
automatically
income-eligible
based on
participation
in
certain
programs.
The
State
agency's
income
standard
must
be
between
100
percent
of the
Federal
poverty
guidelines
(issued
each
year by
the
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services),
but
cannot
be more
than 185
percent
of the
Federal
poverty
income
guidelines. While
most
States
use the
maximum
guidelines,
States
may set
lower
income
limit
standards.
See
income
guidelines.
Certain
applicants
are automatically
income
eligible
based on
participation
in other
benefit
programs... |
- if
they
are
eligible
under
Food
Stamp,
Medicaid,
Temporary
Assistance
for
Needy
Families
(TANF,
formerly
known
as
AFDC,
Aid
to
Families
with
Dependent
Children)
programs;
- if
certain
family
members
are
eligible
to
receive
Medicaid
or
TANF;
OR
- if
State
agency
option
applies
because
individuals
are
eligible
to
participate
in
certain
other
State-administered
programs.
|
| |
| NUTRITION
RISK |
Applicants
must be
seen by
a health
professional
such as
a
physician,
nurse,
or
nutritionist
who must
determine
whether
the
individual
is at
nutrition
risk. In
many
cases,
this is
done in
the WIC
clinic
at no
cost to
the
applicant. However,
this
information
can be
obtained
from
another
health
professional
such as
the
applicant's
physician.
Nutrition
risk
means
that an
individual
has
medical-based
or
dietary-based
conditions. Examples
of
medical-based
conditions
include
anemia
(low
blood
levels),
underweight,
or
history
of poor
pregnancy
outcome. A
dietary-based
condition
includes,
for
example,
a poor
diet.
At a
minimum,
the
applicant's
height
and
weight
must be
measured
and
blood
work
taken to
check
for
anemia.
An
applicant
must
have at
least
one of
the
medical
or
dietary
conditions
on the
associated
agency's
list of
WIC
nutrition
risk
criteria. |
|
|
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