How do I apply for WIC in Colorado?

Apply directly at https://www.coloradowic.com/apply. Typical processing time is about 1 days. For help, call Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Prevention Services Division at 1-800-688-7777.

Can I get WIC in Colorado if I'm on Medicaid?

Yes. Under federal adjunctive eligibility (7 CFR 246.7), anyone enrolled in Colorado Medicaid is automatically income-eligible for WIC. Enrollment happens at your local WIC clinic — bring your Medicaid card, proof of residency, and the person applying.

WIC · Colorado

Colorado WIC

Q: Who qualifies for WIC in Colorado?

Colorado WIC is run by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Prevention Services Division. WIC covers pregnant women, postpartum women up to six months, breastfeeding women up to one year, infants, and children under age five if your household income is at or below 185% of the federal poverty guideline — about $59,478 a year for a household of three in FY 2025 — or if anyone in the household is on Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF (adjunctive eligibility). You also need a single nutritional risk finding from a clinician, which the Colorado WIC certification visit provides for free. The Colorado food package loads onto an eWIC card monthly. Beyond the standard milk, eggs, cereal, peanut butter, and whole-grain bread, every WIC participant in Colorado gets a Cash-Value Benefit (CVB) for fruits and vegetables: $26 / month per child, $47 / month per pregnant or postpartum woman, and $52 / month per fully-breastfeeding woman. The Continuing Appropriations Act of 2025 made these levels permanent, replacing the lower pre-pandemic rates. WIC also funds breastfeeding peer counseling, lactation consultations, and nutrition counseling at every certification visit. Apply

Run by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Prevention Services Division.

The number

Colorado WIC: Cash-Value Benefit (fruits + vegetables) per breastfeeding mom / month is $52, on top of the standard food package — milk, eggs, cereal, and infant formula or breastfeeding support.

Primary source: https://www.coloradowic.com/

Apply for Colorado WIC 1-800-688-7777 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environm…

Quick facts

Application channel: Multiple channels
Average processing time: 1 day
Cash-Value Benefit (fruits + vegetables) per breastfeeding mom / month: $52

Colorado WIC in Colorado

Colorado WIC is run by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Prevention Services Division. WIC covers pregnant women, postpartum women up to six months, breastfeeding women up to one year, infants, and children under age five if your household income is at or below 185% of the federal poverty guideline — about $59,478 a year for a household of three in FY 2025 — or if anyone in the household is on Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF (adjunctive eligibility). You also need a single nutritional risk finding from a clinician, which the Colorado WIC certification visit provides for free.

The Colorado food package loads onto an eWIC card monthly. Beyond the standard milk, eggs, cereal, peanut butter, and whole-grain bread, every WIC participant in Colorado gets a Cash-Value Benefit (CVB) for fruits and vegetables: $26 / month per child, $47 / month per pregnant or postpartum woman, and $52 / month per fully-breastfeeding woman. The Continuing Appropriations Act of 2025 made these levels permanent, replacing the lower pre-pandemic rates. WIC also funds breastfeeding peer counseling, lactation consultations, and nutrition counseling at every certification visit.

Apply online, by phone, or in person at https://www.coloradowic.com/apply or by calling 1-800-688-7777. The certification visit (measurements, hemoglobin draw, nutrition counseling) takes 30 to 45 minutes and happens at a local clinic. Bring photo ID, proof of address, proof of household income for the last 30 days, and ID for everyone applying. Federal regulations specifically prohibit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Prevention Services Division from sharing applicant data with immigration enforcement; WIC has no citizenship test under PRWORA §402.

Colorado WIC implemented online recertification statewide in January 2024 under USDA's WIC Modernization grant, the first Mountain West state to do so. Pre-pandemic certification no-show rates dropped from 22% to under 10% in the pilot.

For Black families in Colorado

USDA does not publish a state-by-state estimate of WIC participation among eligible Black women and children for Colorado, owing to small denominators or sampling. Nationally, WIC reaches about 51% of all eligible postpartum women per the USDA WIC Eligibility and Coverage Rates 2021 release.

The biggest barriers in Colorado, in order: WIC clinic hours that conflict with shift work, a single-clinic requirement that forces a full day off for the certification visit, and stigma about means-tested benefits left over from the food-stamps era. Federally Qualified Health Centers in the state cross-enroll WIC + Medicaid + presumptive Medicaid in a single appointment; most have certified application counselors on staff. The National WIC Association at nwica.org lists Black-led community partners in every state.

Where to get help

If you want help with the application or want to walk in and have someone sit with you through the forms, three places in Colorado can do that for free:

Federally Qualified Health Centers in Colorado — every FQHC has certified application counselors on staff and cannot turn you away for inability to pay. They cross-enroll Medicaid + WIC + SNAP at the same visit.
Colorado Medicaid — if you qualify for Medicaid you are automatically income-eligible for WIC under federal adjunctive eligibility rules (7 CFR 246.7).
Medicaid for pregnant women in Colorado — start here if you're newly pregnant and want WIC + prenatal Medicaid in a single appointment.

Other safety-net programs in Colorado

SNAP in Colorado TANF in Colorado

References & primary sources

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Prevention Services Division — the Colorado program landing page.
USDA Food and Nutrition Service, WIC Program (fns.usda.gov/wic).
USDA WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines, FY 2025 (fns.usda.gov/wic/income-eligibility-guidelines).
USDA WIC Eligibility and Coverage Rates 2021, October 2024 (fns.usda.gov/research/wic/eligibility-coverage-rates-2021).
National WIC Association — community-organization directory (nwica.org).

Data refreshed: April 24, 2026