Wisconsin program
Food and nutrition support (Wisconsin WIC)
Food benefits and nutrition support during pregnancy, after pregnancy, and for children under five.
What it is
Food benefits and nutrition support during pregnancy, after pregnancy, and for children under five.
WIC covers a different need from FoodShare: food and nutrition support during pregnancy and early childhood. Your child in treatment can qualify if under five. A younger sibling may qualify too.
Eligibility rules
- WIC uses an income guideline of 185% of poverty. Medicaid/BadgerCare Plus, FoodShare/SNAP or qualifying TANF/W-2 participation establishes the income part, but a local WIC agency still checks the person's eligible category, Wisconsin residence and nutrition risk.
- Monthly limits for July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 are: 2 people $3,337; 3 $4,212; 4 $5,088; 5 $5,964; 6 $6,839.
What you get
- Monthly food benefits at no cost to eligible families.
- Nutrition advice and breastfeeding support.
If you decide to apply
- Your social worker can help you decide whether to talk with the WIC referral line at 800-642-7837 about a local appointment.
- Have the children's ages and household income information ready for the appointment.
Wisconsin WIC local-agency referral: 800-642-7837 · Official page ↗
Good to know
Lawful U.S. residency is not required. Having FoodShare does not stop a family from receiving WIC.
Other details
- Your local WIC agency handles the appointment and food benefits separately from the FoodShare application.
- The income table here is dated July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. WIC also requires a nutrition-risk assessment and an eligible category: pregnancy, the first six months after pregnancy for a non-breastfeeding parent, breastfeeding until the baby's first birthday, or a child under five. Your social worker can help connect you with the local WIC agency to confirm the right appointment and any documents needed. The local agency confirms appointment timing.
- These questions may not identify a postpartum or breastfeeding category. A family without a young child reported here can still discuss those circumstances with the WIC agency.
Federal background: WIC food and nutrition support for a child under 5.
Official sources
“Could anyone in our family qualify for WIC, how would it work alongside other food help, and could you help with a referral if it fits?”
Why I’m asking: I want to know which food support fits the ages and needs in our household.
More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules
Who does what
The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.
You
Ring the referral line and book with the local agency.
Your social worker
The social worker can make the referral.
The care team
Records and letters when the application asks for them.
- Who decides
- The local WIC agency.
- Ask your social worker
- “We have a child under five at home as well. Can we be referred to WIC?”
How to apply
First step: Ring 800-642-7837 and ask for the local agency.
- Ring 800-642-7837 if there is a child under five at home or someone pregnant.
Official application / program page ↗
Where it starts: Ring 800-642-7837 for the local agency.
What to gather
- Ages of the children at home
- This month's household income
How long: An appointment with the local agency; no statewide timescale is published.
What a yes looks like
Monthly food benefits and an appointment with a nutritionist.
What a no looks like, and the next move
Over the income line, or no child under five at home.
Watch out
- It is for the youngest children in the house, not for the child in treatment unless they are under five.
- Having FoodShare does not stop a family getting this too.
- Lawful residency is not required.
Dates that change this
2026-07-01: The linked table document still rendered the 2025 to 2026 interval while the dated page text gives 2026 to 2027. We print the dated page. Check the figure with the local agency if it matters to a decision. (not yet confirmed against the final rule)
The numbers and the rules
The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.
What it is worth
Monthly food benefits for a pregnancy, a baby or a child under five, at or under $5,088 a month for four.
- $3,337/month — Monthly income limit, household of 2 (185% of poverty)
- $4,212/month — Monthly income limit, household of 3 (185% of poverty)
- $5,088/month — Monthly income limit, household of 4 (185% of poverty)
- $5,964/month — Monthly income limit, household of 5 (185% of poverty)
- $6,839/month — Monthly income limit, household of 6 (185% of poverty)
Covers: Monthly food benefits · Nutrition advice and breastfeeding support
Legal protection: Legal residency in the United States is not required
What it costs the family: None.
The eligibility facts, as published
- Who
- a pregnant person, a baby, or a child under five
- Income
- 185% of the poverty guidelines, table dated July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027
- Residency
- lawful residency is not required
The trap: It is about the youngest children in the house, not the child in treatment, unless that child is under five. Legal residency is not required.
Where I read this
- DHS: WIC income guidelines — Wisconsin Department of Health Services, read September 10, 2026