WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
• An EBT card which is a plastic card that you can use to buy healthy foods such as milk, juice, eggs, cheese, cereal, dry beans and peas, and peanut butter. (It is NOT the same card as your CalFresh card.)
• Cash Value Benefits added to your WIC EBT card to purchase fruits and vegetables. These were increased in 2021 due to the pandemic but may be decreased in March 2022.
The increased dollar amounts for fruits and vegetables are:
$24 per month for children ages 1 to 5
$43 per month for pregnant and postpartum individuals
$47 per month for fully and partially breastfeeding individuals
• WIC also provides a limited number of vouchers that can be used at Farmer’s Markets for fruits and vegetables.
• Information about nutrition and health to help you and your family eat well and be healthy
• Support and information about breastfeeding your baby
• Vouchers for formula (if you are not breastfeeding exclusively) and cereals for infants are available.
• Help in finding health care and other community services
• Extra benefits: Women who breastfeed exclusively receive an extra set of vouchers providing them with additional foods including tuna and fresh carrots.
• Counseling: WIC participants are regularly scheduled to attend meetings and individual counseling. Some of the topics discussed include car seat safety, tooth decay, food and nutrition, and breastfeeding.
You can share your concerns about breastfeeding and children’s eating habits with a counselor and other mothers involved in the program. In some WIC programs, breastfeeding women can come into the WIC clinic any time they have a question, a problem, or need support.
During the pandemic, all WIC classes and counseling are conducted online.