What You Need To Know
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) aims to safeguard the health and well-being of individuals. It provides for pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women as well as infants and children. These categories of individuals must be at nutrition risk to avail the benefits of WIC. The objective of the Wisconsin WIC is to make sure that the qualified members receive:
- Supplemental nutritious foods
- Nutrition and breastfeeding information
- Referral to other health care services.
These services are provided to the mentioned categories if they are suffering from nutrition risk. The WIC recognizes two major types of risk. These are:
- Medically-based risks
- Dietary risks
The administration of the Wisconsin WIC has been administered by the Department of Health and Family Services. The benefits provided by the WIC are accessed by the people through checks and vouchers. Through these vouchers, they can receive food items from authorized retailers. However, by 2020 the state wishes to incorporate eWIC which uses the Electronic Benefit Transfer card. This is similar to a normal debit card and used as such. It would allow the purchasing of food items to take place easily. The card would contain a chip that has all the information about the benefit package. This means that no qualified individual will have to visit a local WIC clinic for pickup of check or vouches.
Are You Eligible?
The eligibility criteria for this program has been set in order to ensure that the most deserving individuals are helped. Therefore, the applicant must be:
- A resident of the state of Wisconsin
- A pregnant, breastfeeding or postpartum woman; or an infant or child below the age of five
- Labeled to be at nutrition risk by an appropriate health professional.
The Wisconsin WIC has been set up for low-income individuals who are unable to undertake their medical expenses. This means that the annual household income of all interested individuals is taken into account. It is vital for their earning to be in line with the guidelines set. The table below outlines the household size and their respective maximum income limits. Thus, the income of a person must not surpass the following amounts:
| Size Of The Household | Maximum Annual Income Level ($) |
| 1 | 23,107 |
| 2 | 31,284 |
| 3 | 39,461 |
| 4 | 47,638 |
| 5 | 55,815 |
| 6 | 63,992 |
| 7 | 72,169 |
| 8 | 80,346 |
Household size can be greater than eight members. If this is the case, then an additional $8,177 should be added per person. Interested individuals should get in contact with the appropriate managing agency of their area. This will ensure that they follow the most recent and accurate guidelines.
Automatic income eligibility is granted to those who are a part of the state benefit programs. They can either be a part of it themselves or have family members who are the participants.
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- Medicaid
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
A pre-screening tool is available for WIC. This helps to determine your eligibility for the program. However, it is important to note that it is not the final application. It is simply a tool that may make the decision easier for it. It is recommended that individuals still apply for the program even if the tool gives negative results.
The Wisconsin WIC has limited funds. This means that they are able to help a limited amount of individuals. To make sure that the resources are allocated to the most deserving applicants, they have a waiting list. The priority in this regard is given to those women, infants, and children that are at serious nutrition risk.
How To Apply
WIC clinics have been set up throughout the state. Their location can be found through the help of the websites. By locating the nearest one, interested individuals can start up their application process without hurdles. These clinics are also helpful in providing the guidance and assistance required for a smooth procedure.
For Further Information
Information about the Wisconsin WIC can also be found on the WIC page. This is open for public access. To make sure that all queries and confusions are catered to, a toll-free 24-hour number has been set up. Tele Typewriter and interpreter services are also available.
1-800-722-2295
WIC is a federal program, therefore it’s information can be found on the USDA’s Women, Infants, and Children program page. You can even visit the USDA’s FNS page that has a list of toll-free numbers. This allows you to contact the one nearest to you and gain in-depth details about the benefit program.