If you answered “yes” and you meet income requirements, you may be eligible to receive assistance with buying healthful foods. You may also receive referrals to additional services that will help you and your family live better lives. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, WIC, is a program that safeguards the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age five who are at nutritional risk. The Suffolk County Department of Health Services has been a WIC sponsoring agency since 1975.
Nutritional Risk: Two major types of nutrition risk are recognized for WIC eligibility: Medically-Based Risks, such as anemia, underweight, history of pregnancy complications, or poor pregnancy outcomes; and Dietary Risks, such as inappropriate nutrition or feeding practices or failure to meet the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Women, infants, and children at nutrition risk have much greater risk of experiencing health problems.
What food benefits do WIC participants receive?
The foods chosen by the WIC program are meant to supplement your diet with specific nutrients. WIC foods include infant cereal, baby foods, iron-fortified adult cereal, fruits and vegetables, vitamin C-rich fruit or vegetable juice, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, soy-based beverages, tofu, peanut butter, dried and canned beans/peas, canned fish, whole wheat bread and other whole-grain options.
Breastfeeding: Mothers participating in WIC are encouraged to breastfeed their infants if possible. We have breastfeeding counselors and peer counselors (mothers who help other mothers) in our clinics who can answer any questions you have about breastfeeding. WIC is here for you! For infants of women who do not fully breastfeed, WIC provides iron-fortified infant formula. Special infant formulas and medical foods may also be provided if medically indicated.
Am I eligible?
To be eligible on the basis of income, an applicant’s before-tax income must fall at or below 185 percent of the U.S. poverty level. Income guidelines are listed at right. Applicants must live in New York State, but do not need to provide proof of US citizenship.
|
Household Size
|
Annual
|
Monthly
|
Bi-Weekly
|
Weekly
|
|
|
|
1
|
$22,311
|
$1,860
|
$895
|
$430
|
|
2
|
$30,044
|
$2,504
|
$1,156
|
$578
|
|
3
|
$37,777
|
$3,149
|
$1,453
|
$727
|
|
4
|
$45,510
|
$3,793
|
$1,751
|
$876
|
|
5
|
$53,243
|
$4,437
|
$2,048
|
$1,024
|
|
6
|
$60,976
|
$5,082
|
$2,346
|
$1,173
|
|
7
|
$68,709
|
$5,726
|
$2,643
|
$1,322
|
|
8
|
$76,442
|
$6,371
|
$2,941
|
$1,471
|
|
For each additional member , add:
|
+$7,733
|
+$645
|
+$298
|
+$149
|
|
Before Tax Income: Effective through June 30, 2018
|
Fast facts:
- If you participate in another assistance program, such as SNAP or Medicaid, you may be automatically income-eligible for WIC.
- Breastfeeding mothers are eligible to participate in WIC longer than non-breastfeeding mothers.
- More than half of the infants in the U.S. participate in WIC.
- WIC participants support the local economy through their purchases.
WIC also partners with the Farmers Market Nutrition Program in New York. An eligible WIC family receives an extra $24 per year to buy fresh fruit and vegetables at contracted farmer market locations between July and November.
For more information contact Suffolk County Health’s WIC Program at 631-853-3014.
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