Who can participate in the WIC Program?
WIC serves low-to-moderate income families:
- Currently pregnant
- Breastfeeding a baby for up to one year after delivery
- Non-breastfeeding individual for up to six months after pregnancy ends
- Infants and children up to age five
- Guardians who are the sole provider of a child under age five
Fathers and grandparents can also bring their children, age five and under, to apply for WIC.
WIC services are available to anyone who lives in California and meets the program guidelines regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability. Families can receive help from WIC no matter what their immigration status is. Undocumented immigrants can receive WIC as long as they live in California.
Participants must meet WIC income guidelines. Check to see if you meet income guidelines by using the WIC Eligibility Assessment Calculator. The number of persons in the family, including the unborn children should be counted in the family total.
For example: Pregnant woman with a single unborn child are counted as two (2) in the family. Pregnant woman with two unborn children (twins) are counted as three (3).
You may still be eligible for WIC, even if you were turned down by other programs. If you or another family member is receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) you're automatically income eligible for WIC.
If you're receiving Medi-Cal, CalFresh (Food Stamps), CalWORKs, and/or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) you automatically meet the WIC income requirements regardless of actual gross income.