Health Services Agency

Determining WIC Eligibility

WIC Eligibility & Applying

Determining WIC Eligibility

There are four guidelines used to determine if an applicant is eligible to participate in WIC.

They are:

1. Category: An applicant must be in one of the categories served by WIC.
   • Pregnant Woman
   • Breastfeeding woman (up to 1 year after delivery)
   • Non-breastfeeding woman (up to 6 months after the pregnancy ends)
   • Infant (child under 1 year old)
   • Child (1 to 5 years of age)
2. Residence: The applicant must live in Stanislaus County
3. Income: The applicant’s family income must be within WIC guidelines
   Click here for the guidelines
4. Nutritional Need: The applicant must have a health problem (nutritional need) which can be improved with good nutrition.

Two Easy Ways to Apply for WIC

1. By calling the main office at (209) 558-7377
   After a short screening process, the person is given an enrollment appointment. Most participants are enrolled and receive benefits within two weeks of the initial phone call or online form submission.
2. OR by submitting the online WIC Pre-Application form [ English | Spanish ]

Services and benefits provided by the WIC Program

Once eligible, participants come to a WIC office/site of their choice on a monthly or bimonthly schedule, to receive:

• Nutrition education classes or individual nutrition assessments and counseling
• Special Checks for exchange of specific nutritious foods at local grocery stores.
• Breastfeeding education and support for pregnant and new mothers.
  Click here for more breastfeeding information
• Linkages and referrals to health care providers and other social services