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The mission of WIC is to safeguard the health of low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, infants, and children up to age 5 who are nutritionally and medically at risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care.
WIC offers nutrition counseling, breast-feeding support and food vouchers redeemable at participating grocery stores for infant formula, milk, eggs, cheese, cereal, juices and other nutritious foods.
The WIC program is a health and supplemental nutrition program for pregnant women; breastfeeding women uptp 12 months postpartum; non-breast feeding women up to 6 months post partum; infants and children up to 5 years of age who have a medical/nutritional risk and meet financial eligibility criteria. Funding is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture. WIC is administered by the Department of Health at the State and the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness at the local level.
Most State WIC programs provide vouchers that participants use at authorized food stores. A wide variety of State and local organizations cooperate in providing the food and health care benefits, and 46,000 merchants nationwide accept WIC vouchers. WIC is effective in improving the health of pregnant women, new mothers, and their infants.
Program Services
Supplemental Foods:
Foods available through WIC provide nutrients that are important in the diets of women, infants, and children at nutritional risk. These foods include milk, eggs, cheese, juice, cereal, peanut butter, or dried beans. These foods contain key nutrients needed to promote healthy growth. WIC is a supplemental food program and does not provide all the food a woman may need for herself and her children.
 "Wic Foods Flyer For Pregnancy"
"Wic Foods Flyer For Breasfeeding Mom and Baby"
"Wic Foods Flyer For Children"
Since breast milk is the ideal food for infants, WIC encourages breastfeeding. Additional foods, tuna fish and carrots, are provided to breastfeeding women who receive no formula from the WIC Program. The average value of WIC foods provided to participants each month is $50.00. For women who do not breastfeed, WIC provides iron-fortified formula for infants during the first year of life. A wide variety of special formulas are provided to infants and children with special medical needs when prescribed by a physician. Infants also receive infant juice and cereal by six months of age.
WIC foods are provided in the form of vouchers. The types and amounts of food to be purchased each month are printed on a set of food vouchers. The food vouchers are redeemed at a WIC-authorized retail grocery store selected by the participant. In Fulton County, there are many retail grocery stores that are authorized to redeem WIC vouchers.
Nutrition Education
Nutrition information is provided to all WIC participants to ensure that foods will be used properly to improve the dietary and health habits of the entire family. Nutrition education is designed to change lifetime nutrition and health behaviors with realistic goals. Each WIC office has at least one nutritionist on its staff that counsels participants on nutrition related concerns such as obesity and iron deficiency anemia.
Beyond offering nutrition education, the WIC Program is involved in addressing other areas of maternal and child health, such as educating participants about the dangers of drugs, alcohol and tobacco use. Children needing immunizations are referred to their health care provider or the Health Department immunization Clinic. WIC promotes good dental health for children and refers them to the Health Department Dental Clinics.
Referrals:
WIC provides limited referrals to health and social services. Participants not receiving medical services are encouraged to seek and maintain appropriate care.
Enrollment:
WIC is currently serving approximately 15,000 participants and has funding to serve more applicants. To enroll, the applicants need to call or visit one of the Fulton County WIC Clinics listed below. The WIC Program will review the completed application to determine medical/nutritional risk and financial eligibility. If eligible, the applicant will be contacted by the WIC Program and given an appointment to be enrolled. WIC encourages all potentially eligible individuals to apply for WIC Program benefits.
Department of Health and Wellness Women, Infants, Children Clinic Locations
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602 - North Fulton* (PC) - Sat.
CLINIC:404-332-1958
WIC:404-332-1812
FAX:404-893-6745
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3155 Royal Drive, Suite 125, Alpharetta 30022
*FCHD Maternal/Family Planning (Pregnancy Test offered here) |
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Saturday clinic offered
twice monthly. |
603 - Sandy Springs*
CLINIC:404-303-6162
WIC:404-332-1812
FAX:404-893-6745 |
330 Johnson Ferry Road, NE, Atlanta 30328 |
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. |
610 - Lakewood*
CLINIC:404-624-0626
WIC:404-624-0628
FAX:404-624-0636
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1853 Jonesboro Road, SE, Atlanta 30315
*FCHD Maternal/Family Planning (Pregnancy Test offered here) |
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. |
613 - College Park* (PC) - Sat.
CLINIC:404-765-4155
WIC:404-765-4167
FAX:404-765-4149
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1920 John Wesley Ave.,
College Park 30337
*FCHD Maternal/Family Planning (Pregnancy Test offered here) |
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Saturday clinic offered
twice monthly. |
616 - Center Hill* (PC) - Sat.
CLINIC:404-699-6371
WIC:404-699-6374
FAX:404-893-6856 |
3201 Atl. Ind. Pkwy,
Suite #302, Atlanta 30331
*FCHD Maternal/Family Planning (Pregnancy Test offered here) |
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Saturday clinic offered
twice monthly. |
618 - Adamsville*
CLINIC:404-699-4215
WIC:404-699-4204
FAX:404-893-6761 |
3699 Bakers Ferry Road, SW, Atlanta 30331
*FCHD Maternal/Family Planning (Pregnancy Test offered here) |
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. |
621 - Neighborhood Union*(PC)
CLINIC:404-612-4665
WIC:404-612-9325 |
186 Sunset Ave, Atlanta, 30314
*FCHD Maternal/Family Planning (Pregnancy Test offered here) |
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. |
623 - Northeast*
CLINIC:404-730-5835
WIC:404-730-6690
FAX:404-893-1860 |
265 Boulevard, NE, Atlanta 30312
*FCHD Maternal/Family Planning (Pregnancy Test offered here) |
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. |
WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines 2009-2010
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Household or Family Size*
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Gross Income Per Year**
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Gross Income Per Month**
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1
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$20,036
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$1,670
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$835
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2
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$26,955
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$2,247
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$1,124
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3
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$33,874
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$2,823
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$1,412
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4
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$40,793
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$3,400
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$1,700
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5
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$47,712
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$3,976
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$1,836 |
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6
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$54,631
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$4,553
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$2,277
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7
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$61,550
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$5,130
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$2,565
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8
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$68,469
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$5,706
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$2,853
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+$6,919
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+$577
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+$289 |
| *A household is defined as a group of related or non-related individuals, who usually, although not necessarily, are living together and share income.
**Gross income is income before taxes and deductions.
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WIC Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:
- Categorical
- Residential
- Income
- Nutrition Risk
Categorical Requirement
The WIC Program is designed to serve certain categories of women, infants, and children. Therefore, the following individuals are considered categorically eligible for WIC:
| Women |
- pregnant (during pregnancy and up to 6 weeks
after the birth of an infant or the end of the
pregnancy)
- postpartum (up to six months after the birth of
the infant or the end of the pregnancy)
- breastfeeding (up to the infant's first birthday)
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Infants
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- (up to the infant's first birthday)
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Children
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- (up to the child's fifth birthday)
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Residential Requirement
Applicants must live in the State in which they apply. Applicants served in areas where WIC is administered by an Indian Tribal Organization (ITO) must meet residency requirements established by the ITO. At State agency option, applicants may be required to live in a local service area and apply at a WIC clinic that serves that area. Applicants are not required to live in the State or local service area for a certain amount of time in order to meet the WIC residency requirement.
Income Requirement
To be eligible for WIC, applicants must have income at or below an income level or standard set by the State agency or be determined automatically income-eligible based on participation in certain programs.
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Income Standard
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- pregnant (during pregnancy and up to 6 weeks after the birth of an infant or the end of the pregnancy)
- postpartum (up to six months after the birth of
the infant or the end of the pregnancy)
- breastfeeding (up to the infant's first birthday)
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Automatic Income Eligibility
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Certain applicants can be determined income-eligible for WIC based on their participation in certain programs. These included individuals:
- eligible to receive SNAP benefits, Medicaid, for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, formerly known as AFDC, Aid to Families with Dependent Children),
- in which certain family members are eligible to receive Medicaid or TANF, or
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at State agency option, individuals that are eligible to participate in certain other State-administered programs.
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Nutrition Risk Requirement
Applicants must be seen by a health professional such as a physician, nurse, or nutritionist who must determine whether the individual is at nutrition risk. In many cases, this is done in the WIC clinic at no cost to the applicant. However, this information can be obtained from another health professional such as the applicant's physician.
"Nutrition risk" means that an individual has medical-based or dietary-based conditions. Examples of medical-based conditions include anemia (low blood levels), underweight, or history of poor pregnancy outcome. A dietary-based condition includes, for example, a poor diet.
At a minimum, the applicant's height and weight must be measured and bloodwork taken to check for anemia.
An applicant must have at least one of the medical or dietary conditions on the State's list of WIC nutrition risk criteria.
Contact the WIC office serving your area, to schedule an appointment. Refer to the Fulton County WIC Locations listed above. Applicants will be advised about what to bring to the WIC appointment to help determine eligibility.
Many of the State agencies listed provide a toll-free number for you to call and/or a website about the WIC Program operating in that area.
Length of Participation: WIC is a short-term program. Therefore, a participant will "graduate" at the end of one or more certification periods. A certification period is the length of time a WIC participant is eligible to receive benefits. Depending on whether the individual is pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding, an infant, or a child, an eligible individual usually receives WIC benefits from 6 months to a year, at which time she/he must reapply.
Moving: WIC participants who move can continue to receive WIC benefits until their certification period expires as long as there is proof that the individual received WIC benefits in another area or State. Before a participant moves, they should tell the WIC office. In most cases, WIC staff will give the participant a special card which proves that the individual participated in the WIC Program. When the individual moves, they can call the new WIC office for an appointment and take the special card to the WIC appointment in the new area or State.
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