Massachusetts Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Program Overview

The Massachusetts Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federally funded program that is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Massachusetts WIC program is available for pregnant women, infants and kids up to five years of age and who are identified to be at nutritional risk by qualified doctors. These are individuals belonging to low-income households who are unable to take care of their diet which results in health problems in them. The aim of the program is to assist such individuals by providing healthy food that provides nutrition benefits to them.

Program’s Objectives

The main aim of the WIC program is to provide pregnant women, infants, and children up to five years of age and who are living on a fixed budget with an opportunity to improve their nutrition intake. The program helps the candidates by providing various foods and health services and teaches them a healthy lifestyle. This leads them to live a healthy and self- sustaining lifestyle subsequently increasing the quality of life of the people in the state.

The Massachusetts WIC program works by linking the eligible candidates with government agencies, nutritionists, and local community-based organizations. These organizations make sure the families are fully educated about the program so that they can approach the application process in a well-informed manner. This helps families to make adequate decisions to take full benefit from the largest hunger and health preventive program in the country.

The selected candidates are provided with an electronic card (Electronic Benefits Transfer) similar to an ATM card which they can use in the various food stores approved by the government.

The amount of the benefit provided by the Massachusetts Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) might vary depending on the need. Families with much lower income will receive a large amount to properly afford the food and healthcare necessities. The state provides its citizens with several benefit programs therefore; it is advisable to look up other specific programs that are offered in your region.

Eligibility Requirements

To apply for the Massachusetts WIC program, the applicant needs to meet the following requirements,

• The candidate has to be a permanent resident of the state of Massachusetts to be eligible for the program
• The candidate must have US citizenship or be a legal alien to receive the benefits of the Massachusetts Special Supplemental Nutrition Program.
• The candidate must have a job (if the age lies between the age of 21-59 and doesn’t have kind of disability)

The people who can receive the Massachusetts WIC program’s benefits are,

• Pregnant women
• Families with infant or children from 1-5 years old
• Women who are breastfeeding
• Women in their postpartum period

The other important factors for the Massachusetts Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) include the number of members in the household and the total gross income of the household.

You are automatically eligible to for the Massachusetts WIC program if you qualify for any of the below-mentioned state programs,

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• MassHealth Plans
• Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC)

You can also check your eligibility for Massachusetts WIC by visiting the WIC Prescreening Tool on the official WIC’s website. You will have to answer questions related to your,

• Citizenship status
• Identification
• Household income
• Number of members in the household
• Number and age of children in the household
• Health conditions of all the family members

It is important to understand that the tool is neither an application form to apply for the program nor does it guarantees that you will get the benefit. It simply lets you know your eligibility based on the above-given factors. To properly apply for the program, you will have to request an application form for the Massachusetts WIC program from your local community agency office.

How to Apply

There are multiple ways to apply for the Massachusetts WIC program. It is important to check your eligibility for the program before applying. The different methods you can use to apply for the program are,

Apply through the local office

To apply for the Massachusetts Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children it is important to visit a WIC agency in your area. You can then schedule an appointment. The WIC representative in the office will ask you to bring the appointment letter and other important documentation at the time of visiting the office. This makes the application process easily and quick. You can go to the Mass.gov  to find an agency in your locality. You can also call the WIC program at 1-800-WIC-1007 to get more information related to the program.

 For Further Information

Information about the Massachusetts Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is available on the Mass.gov and the  U.S Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)  pages in case of queries or any extra data required about the program. The website provides information regarding the program policies and guidelines to applicants to help them get a better understating of the program. This makes the application process very flexible for the applicants who can use any of the above-mentioned methods to apply for the WIC program.

Also Read: Nebraska Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)