Women, Infants & Children

WIC is a special health and nutrition care program for women, infants and children with nutritional and dietary problems. WIC Program services are available in almost all Montana counties and on all Montana Indian Reservations. WIC provides nutrition education, referral services and specific nutritious foods for those participating. WIC is operated through county and tribal health departments and hospitals. The programs aim is to provide nutrition information and the right kind of foods needed during pregnancy and early childhood to prevent diseases, encourage normal growth and development, and help ensure that healthy babies are born to mothers participating in WIC.

Breastfeeding is promoted in WIC as the best choice of feeding for the benefits to the mother as well as the baby.

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human administers the statewide WIC Program

WIC Facts

• WIC is a nutrition education and health program to help you and your family maintain good health.
• WIC eligibility is determined on the basis of residency in an approved area, age and/or pregnancy status, financial status, and most importantly, nutritional need.
• You will be able to participate in nutritional education at your WIC visit.
• Specific supplemental foods will be provided to participants through food instruments which are similar to checks. Food instruments may be used to purchase the foods at local authorized grocery stores or through an authorized milk delivery service. With the food instruments you may purchase those foods chosen especially for you and/or your child. All food instruments are good for 30 days.
• Eligibility for food stamps or other public assistance programs is NOT changed by enrollment in the WIC Program.
• WIC is federally funded. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service makes cash grants to states from