New Jersey’s Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Who is Eligible?
The WIC Program serves pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women and infants and children through age 5 who are at nutritional risk and who meet the program's income guidelines.
Women are eligible until six months after delivery and up to a year after delivery if they are breastfeeding.
Income Eligibility
Applicants must be low-income residents of New Jersey. The maximum income limit for WIC participation is 185% of the federal poverty level. For example, the maximum limit from May 1, 2009, until June 20, 2010, for a family of four is $40,793. (Please see the WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines chart (from the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services) chart for Income eligibility for other size households.) People currently receiving benefits from Medicaid, food stamps, or TANF are also determined to be income-eligible.
Program Benefits
Nutrition Education and Breastfeeding Promotion/Support. WIC participants receive both individual and peer/group counseling sessions by nutritionists, nurses, lactation professionals, peer counselors, or other trained personnel. Breastfeeding is encouraged as the preferred method of infant feeding.
Supplemental Foods. WIC provides certain supplemental foods that supply key nutrients often lacking in the diets of WIC participants. Eligible women receive assistance to purchase supplemental amounts of fortified milk, cheese, eggs, cereals high in iron, peanut butter or dried beans or peas, and fruit juices high in vitamin C. See the New Jersey Authorized WIC Foods list (from the Department of Health and Senior Services).
Tuna fish and carrots are uncluded in the WIC food list for breastfeeding women and iron-fortified formula for infants who are not breastfed. Iron-fortified infant cereal and fruit juices high in vitamin C may also be purchased for infants. In cases when an infant requires a specialized formula for a medical problem, it may be provided with a prescription from a doctor.
More Information
WIC services are provided at more than 200 locations in New Jersey. See The Authorized WIC Vendor List (from the Department of Health and Senior Services). For more information, call 1-800-328-3838 or visit the WIC Program Information page on the Family Health Services Web site.
This information last reviewed 3/21/10. |
