Massachusetts WIC
Run by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, WIC Nutrition Program.
The number
Massachusetts 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.
Quick facts
- Application channel
- Multiple channels
- Average processing time
- 1 day
- Cash-Value Benefit (fruits + vegetables) per breastfeeding mom / month
- $52
Massachusetts WIC in Massachusetts
Massachusetts WIC is run by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, WIC Nutrition 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 Massachusetts WIC certification visit provides for free.
The Massachusetts food package loads onto an eWIC card monthly. Beyond the standard milk, eggs, cereal, peanut butter, and whole-grain bread, every WIC participant in Massachusetts 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.mass.gov/info-details/applying-for-wic-services or by calling 1-800-942-1007. 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 Massachusetts Department of Public Health, WIC Nutrition Program from sharing applicant data with immigration enforcement; WIC has no citizenship test under PRWORA §402.
Massachusetts WIC was the first state to offer the WIC food package at farmers' markets through a USDA pilot and runs the country's longest-standing Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program. The state's MotherWoman organization cross-references WIC intake with postpartum-depression screening.
For Black families in Massachusetts
USDA does not publish a state-by-state estimate of WIC participation among eligible Black women and children for Massachusetts, 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 Massachusetts, 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.
Massachusetts WIC was the first state to offer the WIC food package at farmers' markets through a USDA pilot and runs the country's longest-standing Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program. The state's MotherWoman organization cross-references WIC intake with postpartum-depression screening.
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 Massachusetts can do that for free:
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in Massachusetts — 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.
- Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts — start here if you're newly pregnant and want WIC + prenatal Medicaid in a single appointment.
Other safety-net programs in Massachusetts
References & primary sources
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health, WIC Nutrition Program — the Massachusetts 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: