WIC

What is WIC?

WIC (Women, Infants and Children) is a nutrition program that provides nutrition and health education, healthy food and other services free of charge to qualified Massachusetts families.
DotHouse Health is home to the Dorchester South WIC Office.

WHAT DOES WIC OFFER?

WIC’s goal is to help keep pregnant and breastfeeding women and kids (under age 5) healthy. To do this, WIC provides:

• Personalized nutrition consultants.
• Checks to buy free, healthy food.
• Tips for eating well to improve health.
• Referrals for medical and dental care, health insurance, child care, housing and fuel assistance and other services that can benefit the whole family.
• Services in a number of languages including English, Vietnamese, Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole.

But that's not all! WIC also offers breastfeeding classes, one-on-one breastfeeding support, and parent groups with discussion about nutrition and other health topics that are important to their families.

WHO IS WIC FOR?

WIC is for all kinds of families: married and single parents, working or not working. If you are a father, mother, grandparent, foster parent or other legal guardian of a child under 5, you can apply for WIC for your child. You can participate in WIC if you:

• Live in Massachusetts
• Have a nutritional need (WIC staff can help you determine this)
• Are a child under 5, or a pregnant or breastfeeding woman, and
• Have a family income equal to or less than WIC guidelines.

INCOME ELIGIBLE GUIDLINES (April 3,2012-June 30, 2013)
House-hold	Yearly	Monthly	Bi-weekly	Weekly
1	$20 665	$1 723	$795	$398
2	$27991	$2333	$1077	$539
3	$35317	$2944	$1359	$680
4	$42643	$3554	$1641	$821
5	$49969	$4165	$1922	$961
6	$57295	$4775	$2204	$1102
7	$64621	$5386	$2486	$1243
8	$71947	$5996	$2768	$1384

If you are pregnant, you should count yourself as two.
You are automatically income eligible for WIC if you are currently receiving TAFDC, Food Stamps or certain types of Mass Health Insurance. Foster children under age 5 are also automatically eligible for WIC.

CAN MEN PARTICIPATE IN WIC?
WIC welcomes men! WIC recognizes the important role that fathers, grandparents, stepparents, and other guardian play in caring for children. Fathers and other caregivers of children under 5 are encouraged to enroll and bring them to appointments, attend nutritional health workshops, and use WIC checks in grocery stores.

HOW DO I APPLY FOR WIC?
Call the DotHouse Health WIC Program at 617-825-0805.

WHAT CAN I BUY WITH WIC CHECKS?
WIC checks make it easier for you to provide the healthy, delicious foods that you feel good about giving your family. The average value for WIC checks for children is $50 per month and women $70 per month.  WIC checks are also easy to use. Just take them with you when you go food shopping and use them to get free healthy food including:

• Baby Food
• Brown Rice
• Canned Fish
• Cereal
• Cheese
• Dried or canned beans/peas
• Eggs
• Fruit juice
• Fruits & Vegetables
• Infant Formula
• Milk
• Peanut butter
• Tortillas
• Tofu
• Whole grain bread

Contact WIC today to see if you are eligible at 617-825-0805 or 1-800-WIC-1007 or visit www.mass.gov/wic.

DotHouse Health