Income eligibility guidelines for the North Dakota Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) have increased.

To qualify for WIC, families must reside in North Dakota, meet the income requirements and have a nutritional or medical need for WIC services, such as anemia or inadequate diet. Need is determined by measuring the child or woman’s height and weight, performing a hemoglobin test, and taking a health and dietary history. Effective May 1, 2018, a family of four can earn up to $3,870 each month (or $893 each week for the household) and still meet income eligibility requirements.

“Studies show that the proper nutrition children in the WIC Program receive, helps them enter school ready to learn,” said Colleen Pearce, director of the North Dakota Department of Health’s WIC Program. “WIC is a cost-effective, sound investment that helps ensure the health of our children.”

Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the WIC Program has improved children’s health, growth and development and prevented health problems for 40 years. WIC benefits include quality nutrition and breastfeeding education, access to other services and monthly foods rich in calcium, iron and protein. This helps bolster the health of pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, as well as babies and children younger than 5 years. WIC foods are designed to fit the nutrition needs of each WIC participant and include only milk, eggs, cheese, peanut butter, 100 percent fruit juice, beans, whole grains and cereals, and fresh fruits and vegetables. WIC supports breastfeeding as the optimal way to feed infants, but infants who are not breastfeeding receive iron-fortified formula and older infants also receive baby food.

To find out if you qualify, contact the WIC agency in your community or refer to the WIC web page at www.ndhealth.gov/wic.