New York WIC
Run by the New York State Department of Health, Division of Nutrition.
The number
New York 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
New York WIC in New York
New York WIC is run by the New York State Department of Health, Division of Nutrition. 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 New York WIC certification visit provides for free.
The New York food package loads onto an eWIC card monthly. Beyond the standard milk, eggs, cereal, peanut butter, and whole-grain bread, every WIC participant in New York 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.health.ny.gov/prevention/nutrition/wic/eligible.htm or by calling 1-800-522-5006. 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 New York State Department of Health, Division of Nutrition from sharing applicant data with immigration enforcement; WIC has no citizenship test under PRWORA §402.
New York WIC serves about 425,000 participants monthly — the second-largest state caseload after California. NYC Health Department's Healthy Start Brooklyn cross-enrolls Black mothers in WIC + presumptive Medicaid in a single visit; the program pioneered USDA's remote certification waiver authority during COVID-19 and kept the workflow as the post-pandemic baseline.
For Black families in New York
Roughly 65% of WIC-eligible Black women and children in New York 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 New York, 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.
New York WIC serves about 425,000 participants monthly — the second-largest state caseload after California. NYC Health Department's Healthy Start Brooklyn cross-enrolls Black mothers in WIC + presumptive Medicaid in a single visit; the program pioneered USDA's remote certification waiver authority during COVID-19 and kept the workflow as the post-pandemic baseline.
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 New York can do that for free:
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in New York — 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.
- New York 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 New York — start here if you're newly pregnant and want WIC + prenatal Medicaid in a single appointment.
Other safety-net programs in New York
References & primary sources
- New York State Department of Health, Division of Nutrition — the New York 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: