Nebraska WIC
Run by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, WIC Program.
The number
Nebraska 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
Nebraska WIC in Nebraska
Nebraska WIC is run by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 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 Nebraska WIC certification visit provides for free.
The Nebraska food package loads onto an eWIC card monthly. Beyond the standard milk, eggs, cereal, peanut butter, and whole-grain bread, every WIC participant in Nebraska 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://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/WIC-Apply.aspx or by calling 1-800-942-1635. 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 Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, WIC Program from sharing applicant data with immigration enforcement; WIC has no citizenship test under PRWORA §402.
Nebraska WIC operates through 22 local agencies, including the Omaha Nation, Santee Sioux, and Winnebago tribal WIC programs. Douglas County (Omaha) is the largest local agency.
For Black families in Nebraska
USDA does not publish a state-by-state estimate of WIC participation among eligible Black women and children for Nebraska, 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 Nebraska, 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.
Nebraska WIC operates through 22 local agencies, including the Omaha Nation, Santee Sioux, and Winnebago tribal WIC programs. Douglas County (Omaha) is the largest local agency.
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 Nebraska can do that for free:
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in Nebraska — 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.
- Nebraska 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 Nebraska — start here if you're newly pregnant and want WIC + prenatal Medicaid in a single appointment.
Other safety-net programs in Nebraska
References & primary sources
- Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, WIC Program — the Nebraska 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: