Black Health
WIC · Michigan

Michigan WIC

Run by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, WIC Division.

The number

Michigan 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

Michigan WIC in Michigan

Michigan WIC is run by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, WIC 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 Michigan WIC certification visit provides for free.

The Michigan food package loads onto an eWIC card monthly. Beyond the standard milk, eggs, cereal, peanut butter, and whole-grain bread, every WIC participant in Michigan 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.michigan.gov/mdhhs/assistance-programs/wic/about/apply or by calling 1-800-942-1636. 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 Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, WIC Division from sharing applicant data with immigration enforcement; WIC has no citizenship test under PRWORA §402.

Michigan WIC serves about 200,000 participants monthly. Wayne County (Detroit) is the largest local agency. The Michigan Breastfeeding Network partners with Black Mothers' Breastfeeding Association to embed Black peer counselors in 14 Detroit WIC clinics.

For Black families in Michigan

Roughly 57% of WIC-eligible Black women and children in Michigan 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 Michigan, 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.

Michigan WIC serves about 200,000 participants monthly. Wayne County (Detroit) is the largest local agency. The Michigan Breastfeeding Network partners with Black Mothers' Breastfeeding Association to embed Black peer counselors in 14 Detroit WIC clinics.

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 Michigan can do that for free:

Other safety-net programs in Michigan

References & primary sources

Data refreshed: