What is WIC?

The Food and Nutrition Service states that WIC is the abbreviation for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. Created in 1974 by the United States Department of Agriculture, its purpose is to provide food, education and health care referrals to low-income women with very young children.

The Food and Nutrition Service shows that to be eligible to receive benefits, women must be pregnant, be breastfeeding or have children under the age of 5. They must also live in the state in which they apply and have income at or below federal and state poverty guidelines set by the Department of Health and Human Services.