Women, Infants, & Children (WIC)

WIC is a Supplemental Nutrition Program which helps families eat well, be active and stay healthy.

WIC helps families by providing:

  • WIC Card -  WIC provides a special electronic benefit card (EBT) for healthy foods for each participant on the program.  The WIC card can be used at authorized WIC vendors/grocers to buy specific types and quantities of food. To view a complete WIC shopping guide, click the button to the right.
  • Nutrition Information - WIC provides information about nutrition and health to help you and your family eat well and be healthy.
  • Breastfeeding Support - WIC provides new and expecting moms with information and resources to get them ready to feed their new babies.
  • Referrals - WIC can help you and your family find a healthcare provider and medical home and provide referrals to other social services such as Medi-Cal, CalWorks, CalFresh and more depending on your individual needs.

The purpose of WIC is to improve the health of families during critical times of growth and development.

  1. Do I Qualify
  2. WIC Locations
  3. What do I bring
  4. What should I expect

Do I Qualify:


To qualify for WIC, you must meet income guidelines (PDF) (CDPH) and be in any of the categories below:

  • A pregnant woman
  • A woman breastfeeding a baby under 1 year of age
  • A woman who had a baby or was pregnant in the past 6 months
  • A baby up to his or her first birthday
  • A child up to his or her fifth birthday

You may qualify if you receive Medi-Cal, CalWORKs (TANF) or CalFresh (SNAP) benefits. Babies and children cared for by their fathers, other guardians, or foster parents are also eligible. Working families and migrant families are also welcome to apply.

Apply Here for benefits online.

WIC’s Response to COVID-19

As an essential service, WIC continues to operate during the pandemic in order to provide important and necessary services to families. In the interest of protecting the health and safety of our WIC families as well as our team members, our offices our open to the public in limited capacity. Our Offices are open to in-person appointments for participants who are new to WIC and need to sign up and participants that need to recertify onto the WIC program. If you have any questions or concerns about an in-person appointment please call (916) 784-6447 our office for guidance. We will continue to provide virtual appointment (by phone or video conference) as much as possible. This page will be updated, please check back here for more information. 

 

Apply for Services

Review the links below to learn about what WIC has to offer.

1.  Welcome to WIC (5:14) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5STdH752k2w

2.  WIC Foods (5:45) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXXZwPQ1Jyk

3.  Fruits and Vegetables (1:43) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQwFP8H4tM

4.  Foods for Infants and Moms who Breastfeed (3:53) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gL-KLa2cuo

5.  California WIC Card (8:50) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz_j2hkvb2c&list=PLuBcbwDEv8PzQnHlz2WOicc_KenGaQmXu&index=6&t=0s

6.  Know Your Rights and Responsibilities (7:02) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhDcUHcaMKY

New to WIC

If your income has been affected by COVID-19, or if you are pregnant or have a child under age 5 and need assistance, please Apply for Services.  Men, dads, grandparents, foster parents, and caretakers are all welcome to apply for WIC benefits for their children under age 5. WIC is also not considered a part of public charge. It is safe to use and does not affect immigration status for anyone who is currently in the U.S. The WIC application process can be completed by phone, and you will receive your food benefits within a few days if you qualify. 

Enrolled in WIC

Appointments

In order to serve you and continue to provide your benefits in a safe, efficient, and effective manner, we ask that you do the following:

  • If you DO NOT have an appointment, please call us at 916 784-6447 or email us at [email protected]
  • If you have MISSED your appointment, please call us at 916 784-6447 or email us at [email protected]
  • If you have a SCHEDULED appointment, please be available around the time of your appointment to receive a call from your WIC counselor. The call may come from a blocked phone number. In addition, make sure to email any required documents we have asked you to email a few hours before your appointment.  

Your Benefits May Be Available

WIC Card

Due to COVID-19, benefits may be automatically added to your WIC card. Please use the California WIC App or call 844.469.3264 to check your food balance.

If benefits HAVE BEEN added to your card:

  • Review your benefits balance to ensure it looks correct.
  • Review your benefits start and end dates, as this may have changed.
  • We will be in contact with you to schedule your next appointment.

If your benefit balance looks incorrect, or if you need to make changes to your foods, please call us at 916 784-6447. If everything looks correct, there is no need to follow up, and you can begin using your benefits as soon as they are available to you.

If benefits HAVE NOT been added to your card:

  • We will provide your benefits during your next scheduled appointment.
  • If you don’t have a scheduled appointment, please call us at 916 784-6447 or email us at [email protected]

If you have not yet received your WIC card, we can mail it to you 

  • Call us at 916 784-6447 or email us at [email protected]   with your name, mailing address, and date of birth to request your WIC card by mail. We will notify you by phone or email when your card has been mailed and you can expect to receive it within 5 business days. Visit www.myfamily.wic.ca.gov to watch a video about the new WIC card.