WIC Admission Cases
What is WIC?
WIC LOVE
During my life in America, I felt that WIC significantly helped us, so I thought it would be good to share this information for reference.
What is WIC?
"WIC is a nutritional assistance program targeting low-income women, infants, and children under 5 years old, at nutritional risk. Besides providing food packages, it includes nutritional assessment, nutritional education, and referrals to health services."
Who is eligible?
I understand that families with pregnant women or children, having an income below a certain amount, are eligible. Eligibility varies by state. For state-specific eligibility guidelines, refer to www.wicprogram.net. Even if there's some income, there are cases where you can receive aid, so it's worth trying even if you have minimal assistance from your company.
What can you receive?
Initially, we applied because we had a child, and later updated our information when my wife became pregnant. What you receive varies by state; we lived in California.
When our child was an infant (I remember the cutoff was around age one), we mainly received:
・Milk
・Baby food
As the child moved to solid foods, more food items became available. It was a significant help for adults as well. From what I remember, we received:
・Milk (whole milk was covered, which greatly improved our quality of life. Initially, a gallon of milk seemed too much, but it was surprisingly consumable.)
・Cheese
・Yogurt (we didn’t use much of the available yogurt as we couldn't find a good product.)
・Eggs
・Peanut butter
・Whole grain bread and pasta (we got bread for our child.)
・Vegetables and fruits (having vegetables was very helpful!)
When my wife got pregnant, more options were added, such as:
・Milk (low-fat milk became available.)
・Yogurt (low-fat options were tasty, so we received them monthly.)
Vegetables and fruits (more variety was appreciated.)
・Juice (receiving 100% juice, like Welch's grape juice, was delightful.)
Additionally, there were monthly distributions of diapers and pantry-style food items. Diapers were a lifesaver.
There are also significant discounts at museums and art galleries if you show your WIC card—plenty of benefits.
How do you get the food?
Once registered, you receive a WIC card at home.
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You take it to participating supermarkets.
In our area, Safeway, Lucky, and Target can be used.
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Since WIC has specific eligible items, you need to identify them, which is where the WIC app comes in handy! It shows what you can receive this month (and the remaining quantity if you’ve used some). The barcode scan feature helps determine if an item is eligible (you'll start remembering what you can get as you shop more).
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At checkout, you slide the WIC card like a credit card to pay.
You’ll be prompted to enter a PIN, which wasn’t explained initially, but you can set up by calling the number on the back of the WIC card.
How to Join WIC
Given the many benefits, families with low income, such as those on study abroad, should definitely join WIC. The process is smoother in person or verbally compared to paperwork, which is typical in America and especially true for WIC.
Child's Case
We applied via WIC’s email, but when documents were insufficient, and nothing progressed, we visited the local WIC Office with the necessary documents (like passport and bank statements), and approval was granted immediately.
Wife's Case
When we reported my wife’s pregnancy at the WIC Office, they asked for proof, so we emailed an ultrasound image. Then they called for a pregnancy and nutrition interview, conducted with a Japanese interpreter for my wife.
Conclusion
WIC is amazing! I really appreciate it!