Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, is a nutrition program that provides nutrition and healthy education, healthy food and other services free of charge to families who qualify.
North Shore WIC Program includes a large branch in Lynn and smaller offices in Peabody and Salem that serve around 7,000 clients according to director Steven Beauchaine.
WIC is available for married and single, working or not working, parents who qualify. Fathers, mothers, grandparents, foster parents, and other guardians of a child under five can also apply.
Qualified persons include women who are: pregnant (during and up to six weeks after birth), postpartum (up to 6 months after birth), and breastfeeding (up to one year after birth). Infants up to one year of age and children up to five years of age also qualify.
Qualified persons must live in Massachusetts.
Applicants also must have a nutritional risk, this includes but is not limited to medical-based conditions such as anemia (low blood levels), underweight, or history of poor pregnancy outcome and dietary-based conditions including, for example, a poor diet.
Income-based restrictions:
- One person household, yearly $22,459, monthly $1,872, weekly $432.
- Two person household, yearly $30,451, monthly $2,538, weekly $586.
- Three, yearly $38,443, monthly $3,204, weekly $740.
- Four, yearly $46,435, monthly $3,870, weekly $893.
- Five, yearly $54,427, monthly $4,536, weekly $1,047.
- Six, yearly $62,419, monthly $5,202, weekly $1,201.
- Seven, yearly $70,411, monthly $5,868, weekly $1,355.
- Eight, yearly $78,403, monthly $6,534, weekly $1,508.
WIC benefits allow users to be able to buy a variety of foods including;
- Milk
- Cheese (16 ounce package only)
- (no organic milk or cheese allowed)
- Eggs (least expensive brand, grade A large brown or white)
- Soy Milk (Quart, shelf stable only. Half gallon, refrigerated only.)
- Yogurt (32 ounce container only. No greek or light yogurt or artificial sweeteners)
- Whole grains: including brown rice, whole grain pasta, bread, tortillas and oatmeals
- Tofu (14 to 16 ounce packages only)
- Dried beans and peas (one pound bag only)
- Peanut Butter (16 to 18 ounce jars only. No flavored, reduced fat, omega-3, organic)
- Infant Formulas
- Infant cereals and foods (fruits, vegetables and meats); Beech-Nut brand
- Fruits and vegetables; including fresh, frozen, canned and canned tomato products
- Fully breastfeeding women are also eligible for canned fish including tuna, pink salmon and sardines.