WIC Coverage in United States

United States

Children who live in food insecure households are at increased risk of adverse health outcomes, such as asthma, depression and forgoing necessary medical care. Hunger can also negatively impact a child’s academic performance. 

The federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) has supported families across the United States for 40 years. The program provides health care referrals, breastfeeding support, nutrition education and additional food to low-income women and children at risk of hunger. Eligible WIC participants can get coupons through the Farmers Market Nutrition Program to buy fresh produce from select farmers markets and stands closer to their homes, allowing more access to healthy foods with less travel time and expenses.

In 2024, the white house included an additional $1 billion in funding for WIC, allowing for updates and improvements to WIC food packages such as: increasing the amounts of fruits and vegetables provided, expanding whole grain options to accommodate cultural preferences, providing different dairy options and adding more flexibility in the amount of infant formula provided. 

Pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women and infants and children up to age 5 with low household incomes may be eligible to participate in the program. Only 51.2% of those eligible participated in 2021 due to various barriers, including misunderstanding the program, not having time away from work to apply, language or cultural barriers and difficulty with transportation.

Research from 2019 indicates that every $1 spent on WIC saves an estimated $2.48 in medical, educational and productivity costs.

WIC participation rates are higher among: 

• Infants compared with 4-year-olds.
• Hispanic individuals compared with non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic white individuals.

The WIC program has been found to:

• Help pregnant women give birth to healthier babies.
• Support better infant feeding practices and more nutritious diets.
• Ensure that lower-income children receive vaccinations and preventive medical care.
• Increase access to healthier food options, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Developing partnerships with local hospitals and clinics to spread awareness about the WIC program could drastically increase the number of eligible people participating and combat misconceptions about WIC. 

Key strategies to improve the success of the WIC program include:

• Publicizing eligibility for the WIC program to a diverse audience.
• Addressing transportation limitations to WIC centers.
• Improving cultural and language barriers.
• Providing culturally appropriate dietary options. 
• Improving the WIC clinical experience.
• Making shopping using WIC simple and widely available.

Healthy People 2030 has a number of goals related to nutrition in children, including:

• Eliminating very low food security among children.
• Increasing healthy food consumption among people age 2 and older.
• Reducing household food insecurity and hunger.

Carlson, Steven, and Zoë Neuberger. “WIC Works: Addressing the Nutrition and Health Needs of Low-Income Families for More Than Four Decades.” Policy Futures. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, January 27, 2021. https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/wic-works-addressing-the-nutrition-and-health-needs-of-low-income-families.

Henchy, Geraldine. “Making WIC Work Better: Strategies to Reach More Women and Children and Strengthen Benefits Use.” Washington, D.C.: Food Research & Action Center, May 2019. https://frac.org/wp-content/uploads/Making-WIC-Work-Better-Full-Report.pdf.

Nianogo, Roch A., May C. Wang, Ricardo Basurto-Davila, Tabashir Z. Nobari, Michael Prelip, Onyebuchi A. Arah, and Shannon E. Whaley. “Economic Evaluation of California Prenatal Participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to Prevent Preterm Birth.” Preventive Medicine 124 (July 1, 2019): 42–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.04.011.

Thomas, Margaret M. C., Daniel P. Miller, and Taryn W. Morrissey. “Food Insecurity and Child Health.” Pediatrics 144, no. 4 (October 1, 2019): e20190397. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-0397.