Women, Infants and Children (WIC)

WIC is the special supplemental nutrition program for pregnant women, new mothers and young children. Participants learn about nutrition and how to stay healthy, and receive benefits to purchase healthy foods. Services are free to those who are eligible. WIC is an equal opportunity provider.

Who can enroll in WIC?

Pregnant women.
Women who are breastfeeding a baby under one year of age.
Women who have had a baby in the past six months.
Infants.
Children up to age five.
Parents, step-parents, guardians, and foster parents of infants and children under the age of five can apply for their children.
Fathers of children under the age of five.

You qualify if you:

Live in Travis County or Bastrop County. (See Locations page for addresses and maps)
Meet income guidelines.
You can apply even if you have a job or health insurance.
U.S. citizenship is not required.
You do not have to be married to apply.

To determine if you are eligible, you must bring the following documents to your appointment:

Poof of your current address.
One piece of identification for each parent or guardian and child applying for WIC.
Proof of income for each member of the household. (If you receive Medicaid, TANF, or SNAP, bring your benefit letter because you are automatically income eligible for WIC.)

At your first appointment:

Your documents will be checked to determine if you are eligible to receive WIC services. Click here to see WIC income guidelines.
You will undergo a simple health screening.
You will receive counseling and referral to appropriate services.
If you are eligible, food benefits will be given to you.

Benefits of WIC Program

A Note on Water Fluoridation

Water that is fluoridated at a level optimal for oral health (as is used in Austin) poses no known health risks for infants. However, some children may develop enamel fluorosis, a cosmetic condition where faint white markings or streaks may appear on the teeth. Fluorosis can affect both baby teeth and permanent teeth while they're forming under the gums.

If you're concerned about fluorosis, you can minimize your baby's exposure to fluoride in several ways. Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for infants. If breastfeeding is not possible, you can minimize exposure to fluoride by using ready-to-feed formula. You can also alternate using tap
water and non-fluoridated water for formula preparation or mix powdered or liquid infant formula concentrate with low-fluoride water most or all of the time. However, if you use only non-fluoridated water--such as purified, de-mineralized, de-ionized, or distilled bottle water--to prepare your baby's formula, your baby's doctor may recommend fluoride supplements beginning at age six months.

Click here to download a flyer with this information (in both English and Spanish).