Black Health
WIC · Texas

Texas WIC

Run by the Texas Department of State Health Services, WIC Program.

The number

Texas 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://texaswic.org/
Apply for Texas WIC 1-800-942-3678 Texas Department of State Health Services, WIC Pr…

Quick facts

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

Texas WIC in Texas

Texas WIC is run by the Texas Department of State Health 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 Texas WIC certification visit provides for free.

The Texas food package loads onto an eWIC card monthly. Beyond the standard milk, eggs, cereal, peanut butter, and whole-grain bread, every WIC participant in Texas 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 at https://texaswic.org/how-apply or by calling 1-800-942-3678. 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 Texas Department of State Health Services, WIC Program from sharing applicant data with immigration enforcement; WIC has no citizenship test under PRWORA §402.

Texas WIC serves roughly 660,000 participants monthly — the third-largest state caseload after California and New York. Texas operates 68 local agencies and 800+ clinics. BlackMatHealthTX (Houston-based) and the Afiya Center in Dallas lead Black-mother WIC retention work in Harris and Dallas counties; the state's TexasWIC.org portal launched fully online applications statewide in 2023.

For Black families in Texas

Roughly 51% of WIC-eligible Black women and children in Texas 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 Texas, 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.

Texas WIC serves roughly 660,000 participants monthly — the third-largest state caseload after California and New York. Texas operates 68 local agencies and 800+ clinics. BlackMatHealthTX (Houston-based) and the Afiya Center in Dallas lead Black-mother WIC retention work in Harris and Dallas counties; the state's TexasWIC.org portal launched fully online applications statewide in 2023.

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 Texas can do that for free:

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

Other safety-net programs in Texas

SNAP in Texas TANF in Texas

References & primary sources

Data refreshed: