WIC Booklet 2021: Understanding the Program's Benefits and Services

The WIC program provides essential benefits and services to pregnant and postpartum women, as well as infants and young children. The program is designed to promote healthy eating habits, support breastfeeding, and provide nutritious foods to those who need them most.

Benefits and Services

WIC participants can receive a range of benefits and services, including:

* Breastfeeding promotion and support: WIC provides education and resources to help new mothers establish and maintain a healthy breastfeeding routine.

* Nutrition services: Participants receive personalized nutrition counseling and guidance on how to make informed food choices.

* Food packages: WIC provides seven different food packages designed to meet the nutritional needs of different categories of participants, including infants, children, and pregnant or postpartum women.

In fiscal year 2021, infant formula rebates totaled approximately $1.6 billion. This rebate program helps ensure competitive pricing for WIC foods while maintaining federal nutrition standards and quantities.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for WIC, an applicant must be a:

* Pregnant woman

* Postpartum woman (up to 1 year if breastfeeding or 6 months if not breastfeeding)

* Infant under the age of five

* Child under the age of five who is at nutritional risk

Applicants must also have a family income at or below 185 percent of the U.S. poverty level or participate in other federal assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF.

Program Administration

WIC is administered by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) at the federal level and by 89 WIC state agencies at the local level. These agencies cover all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories.

The program has been funded annually by Congress since the late 1990s to serve all eligible applicants. The WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Economic Issues, 2015 Edition provides additional information about the program's history, trends, and economic issues.

Additional Resources

For more information on WIC, visit the FNS website or download the WIC booklet from the USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS). You can also contact your local WIC state agency for more information on program eligibility, benefits, and services.

Wic booklet 2021