If you have come to a Free Coupon Workshop, you know that my family uses WIC since we are a one income family and that keeps us below the poverty level.
Women, Infants & Children (WIC) is a supplemental nutrition program for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, women who had a baby within the last six months, infants, and children under the age of five. One must meet income requirements and have a nutritional risk that proper nutrition could help to improve.
The requirements for qualifying for WIC are primarily income and residency. They say you have to see a health professional at the WIC Clinic but beyond being weighed and tested for iron at each reapplication, I have not had this occur. Perhaps that is all they mean.
If you want to know if you meet the financial requirements for WIC in Alabama, click HERE.
You must call for an appointment if you meet the financial criteria. Then, you will need to bring:
- proof of residency (a document with your street address on it, such as a lease or bill)
- proof of identity (a driver’s license)
- proof of income (pay stubs OR you would be automatically income eligible if you are currently enrolled in TANF, Food Stamps or Medicaid, so bring proof of enrollment)
Questions? Call 1-888-942-4673 to obtain further information.
Before you can pick up your second round of checks, you have to take a quick nutrition class but they are available online and involve reading a snipet of information and then answering a couple of questions. Go to WIC Nutrition to see the session topics.
If you qualify for WIC, there is no shame involved. These programs are set up to help us and we need to take advantage of them if we qualify. The initial session takes quite a bit of time so be prepared to wait. You must have the children with you so take something to keep them occupied.
What you will receive is based on the age of the children and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. For my children (ages 1 and 3), we receive a selection which may include juice, bread, milk, peanut butter, beans, brown rice, fresh fruit/vegetables, cheese, buttermilk, and eggs.
We got on WIC back in Feb. It has been a real life saver for us when it comes to formula. I am so thankful for what we are getting.
My son gets WIC, and I can say I love it. The rate little ones go through milk astonishes me…he drinks all 4 gallons every month he gets. It is well worth it. In my opinion, if you qualify take it, you will pay taxes the rest of your life, it truly is a lifesaver.
I have been getting WIC for my kids for over 12 years. I started getting it when I was pregnant with my second son in 1997. My husband and I have 7 children and I stay home and homeschool them. It has been a great help to us over the years and we look forward to the day when we can give back to everyone (including the government) who has helped us for so many years. The WIC program has changed some this year and you can now get more variety of foods than before. As long as your family is eligible, you can receive it for almost 6 years (starting during your pregnancy up until the child turns 5). I hope this helps you make an informed decision. Thank you, Dee
At risk of ruffling some feathers, as I understand it, government aid programs such as WIC are meant to be emergency aid in desperate situations (such as a 2 parent family experiencing a job loss, illness, etc…) or for single parent families struggling financially. It seems unethical to me to depend on these programs otherwise, especially as a long-term solution.
L ~ I understand your point of view and I believe that the emergency aid limitations are accurate for programs such as Food Stamps and Unemployment Compensation. The WIC program has subtle differences and is intended to help guide the nutrition of pregnant/nursing mothers and children up to age four in families. Therefore, this would naturally be a longer term than those other programs. And, in all fairness, the checks are given for the eligible child and not made out for the parents.
I also agree that these programs should not be misused, but when they are necessary, you should use them as long as you are following the guildelines of eligibilty.