Black Health
WIC · Montana

Montana WIC

Run by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, WIC Section.

The number

Montana 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://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/wic/
Apply for Montana WIC 1-800-433-4298 Montana Department of Public Health and Human Ser…

Quick facts

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

Montana WIC in Montana

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

The Montana food package loads onto an eWIC card monthly. Beyond the standard milk, eggs, cereal, peanut butter, and whole-grain bread, every WIC participant in Montana 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://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/wic/apply or by calling 1-800-433-4298. 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 Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, WIC Section from sharing applicant data with immigration enforcement; WIC has no citizenship test under PRWORA §402.

Montana WIC operates through 27 local agencies plus six tribal WIC programs serving the Blackfeet, Crow, Flathead, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, and Northern Cheyenne reservations. eWIC rolled out April 2020.

For Black families in Montana

USDA does not publish a state-by-state estimate of WIC participation among eligible Black women and children for Montana, 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 Montana, 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.

Montana WIC operates through 27 local agencies plus six tribal WIC programs serving the Blackfeet, Crow, Flathead, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, and Northern Cheyenne reservations. eWIC rolled out April 2020.

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 Montana can do that for free:

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

Other safety-net programs in Montana

SNAP in Montana TANF in Montana

References & primary sources

Data refreshed: