Introduction
The District of Columbia Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federally funded program offered to low-income pregnant and breastfeeding women with infants and/or children up to the age of five. Furthermore, the program provides supplement foods, meals, and education about nutrition to the residents of the District of Columbia who are at nutritional risk. The WIC program in DC provides the following services:
- Nutrition counseling and education
- Breastfeeding resources and support
- Nutrient-rich foods (Foods provided by the program supply calcium, protein, iron, and Vitamins A, D, and C.)
- Immunization assessment and screening
- Referrals to health and social service providers
Program Benefits
The District of Columbia WIC program is available for pregnant women, infants, and kids up to five years of age who are identified to be at nutritional risk. Mostly, these are individuals belonging to low-income households who are unable to afford basic food, liquids, or other sort of diet. The aim of the program is to assist such individuals against malnutrition, in the District of Columbia by offering healthy food and liquids.
The food provided through this program includes milk, eggs, cheese, peanut butter, grain food, and beverages. Furthermore, the District of Columbia WIC foods are provided according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the American Academy of Pediatrics’ infant feeding guidance.
Program Objectives
The main goal of the District of Columbia WIC is to provide pregnant women, infants, and children up to five years of age who are living on a fixed budget with an opportunity to improve their nutrition intake. Moreover, the program helps the candidates by providing various food and health services and guidance for a healthy lifestyle. Consequently, this leads them to live a healthy and self-sustaining lifestyle subsequently increasing their quality of life.
Government agencies, nutritionists, and local community-based organizations have created several portals to provide in-depth information about the program. Furthermore, these portals also guide the application process and prerequisites. The purpose, ultimately, is to ensure that families are fully educated about the program and can approach the application process in a well- informed manner. This helps families to take full benefit from the largest hunger and health preventive program in the country.
It is important to note that the amount of the benefit provided by the District of Columbia Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) might vary depending on the need. Families with much lower incomes will receive a large amount to buy food and healthcare necessities.
Eligibility Requirements
You can participate in WIC if you:
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding, a new mother, an infant, or a child up to age 5;
- Live in DC (You do not have to show proof of U.S. citizenship to participate.);
- Meet income guidelines or medical risk for your family as listed below or are
participating in Medicaid, DC Healthy Families, School Lunch Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or the Food Stamp Program; and/or - Have a nutritional or medical risk (determined by a nutritionist or other health professional).
To further check your eligibility, you can get help from the WIC Prescreening Tool, fill in the required information, and check your status for WIC.
To be eligible for the District of Columbia WIC Program, applicants must meet categorical, residential, income, and nutrition risk requirements. The applicant might also need to bring several documents in order to meet the following requirements for the WIC program:
- Proof of DC residence (a bill or letter addressed to you in the past 30 days)
- Proof of total family income (last two check stubs or Medicaid, DC Healthy Families, School Lunch Program, TANF, or Food Stamp notice)
- Proof of pregnancy or proof of birth (birth certificate or discharge papers)
- Child’s shot record
- Child (all children who are eligible, ages 1 – 5).
Other factors that are taken into account while evaluating the eligibility of the candidate for the District of Columbia 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.
The amount of the maximum gross income level before taxes should be equal to or less than,
| 1 | $29,254 |
| 2 | $39,705 |
| 3 | $50,155 |
| 4 | $60,606 |
| 5 | $71,057 |
| 6 | $81,507 |
| 7 | $91,958 |
| 8 | $102,409 |
In case, the household size is greater than 8 members, an additional amount of +$9,953 is considered per member. The amount of annual income level might change from time to time depending on the changes in laws and regulations.
How to Apply
You can apply for the District of Columbia WIC program in multiple ways. 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 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in the state of District of Columbia, it is important to visit Local WIC Agency or WIC clinic sites near you. The WIC representative in the office will ask you to bring the appointment letter and other important documents at the time of visiting the office. This makes the application process easy and quick.
- Apply Via Phone
You can also get information about WIC in the District of Columbia by calling the WIC State office at 202-442-9397.
For Further Information
Information about the District of Columbia Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is available on the DC Health page. The website provides information regarding the program policies and guidelines to applicants to help them get a better understanding 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 in the state of the District of Columbia. For Federal program information, visit USDA’s Women, Infants, and Children program page. Visit Benefits by State for more insights.
