How do I apply for WIC in Louisiana?

Apply directly at https://ldh.la.gov/page/apply-for-wic. Typical processing time is about 1 days. For help, call Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, WIC Program at 1-800-251-2229.

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

Yes. Under federal adjunctive eligibility (7 CFR 246.7), anyone enrolled in Louisiana 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 · Louisiana

Louisiana WIC

Q: Who qualifies for WIC in Louisiana?

Louisiana WIC is run by the Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, WIC Program. 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 Louisiana WIC certification visit provides for free. The Louisiana food package loads onto an eWIC card monthly. Beyond the standard milk, eggs, cereal, peanut butter, and whole-grain bread, every WIC participant in Louisiana 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

Run by the Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, WIC Program.

The number

Louisiana 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://ldh.la.gov/page/wic

Apply for Louisiana WIC 1-800-251-2229 Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public …

Quick facts

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

Louisiana WIC in Louisiana

Louisiana WIC is run by the Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, WIC Program. 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 Louisiana WIC certification visit provides for free.

The Louisiana food package loads onto an eWIC card monthly. Beyond the standard milk, eggs, cereal, peanut butter, and whole-grain bread, every WIC participant in Louisiana 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://ldh.la.gov/page/apply-for-wic or by calling 1-800-251-2229. 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 Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, WIC Program from sharing applicant data with immigration enforcement; WIC has no citizenship test under PRWORA §402.

Louisiana WIC serves about 110,000 participants monthly, with the highest Black share of any state caseload (roughly 50%). Birthmark Doula Collective in New Orleans cross-enrolls clients into WIC at the prenatal intake; the partnership with Crescent City WIC clinics ran continuously through Hurricane Ida and the 2022 cellular outage.

For Black families in Louisiana

Roughly 55% of WIC-eligible Black women and children in Louisiana are enrolled, per the USDA WIC Eligibility and Coverage Rates 2021 release (October 2024) cross-tabulated against state-level Black-population denominators. Nationally, WIC reaches about 51% of all eligible postpartum women — meaning every state has eligible mothers leaving benefits on the table.

The biggest barriers in Louisiana, 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 Louisiana can do that for free:

Federally Qualified Health Centers in Louisiana — 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.
Louisiana 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 Louisiana — start here if you're newly pregnant and want WIC + prenatal Medicaid in a single appointment.

Other safety-net programs in Louisiana

SNAP in Louisiana TANF in Louisiana

References & primary sources

Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, WIC Program — the Louisiana 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