How do I apply for WIC in Wisconsin?

Apply directly at https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/wic/apply.htm. Typical processing time is about 1 days. For help, call Wisconsin Department of Health Services, WIC Program at 1-800-722-2295.

Can I get WIC in Wisconsin if I'm on Medicaid?

Yes. Under federal adjunctive eligibility (7 CFR 246.7), anyone enrolled in Wisconsin Medicaid is automatically income-eligible for WIC. Enrollment happens at your local WIC clinic — bring your Medicaid card, proof of residency, and the person applying.

WIC · Wisconsin

Wisconsin WIC

Q: Who qualifies for WIC in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin WIC is run by the Wisconsin Department of 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 Wisconsin WIC certification visit provides for free. The Wisconsin food package loads onto an eWIC card monthly. Beyond the standard milk, eggs, cereal, peanut butter, and whole-grain bread, every WIC participant in Wisconsin 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 pe

Run by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, WIC Program.

The number

Wisconsin 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://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/wic/

Apply for Wisconsin WIC 1-800-722-2295 Wisconsin Department of Health Services, WIC Prog…

Quick facts

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

Wisconsin WIC in Wisconsin

Wisconsin WIC is run by the Wisconsin Department of 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 Wisconsin WIC certification visit provides for free.

The Wisconsin food package loads onto an eWIC card monthly. Beyond the standard milk, eggs, cereal, peanut butter, and whole-grain bread, every WIC participant in Wisconsin 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.dhs.wisconsin.gov/wic/apply.htm or by calling 1-800-722-2295. 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 Wisconsin Department of Health Services, WIC Program from sharing applicant data with immigration enforcement; WIC has no citizenship test under PRWORA §402.

Wisconsin WIC serves about 105,000 participants monthly. Milwaukee County, with the highest Black infant-mortality rate in the country among major US counties (about 14 deaths per 1,000 Black live births), runs the African American Maternal Health Initiative as a WIC + Healthy Start cross-referral model.

For Black families in Wisconsin

Roughly 49% of WIC-eligible Black women and children in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin, 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.

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 Wisconsin can do that for free:

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

Other safety-net programs in Wisconsin

SNAP in Wisconsin TANF in Wisconsin

References & primary sources

Wisconsin Department of Health Services, WIC Program — the Wisconsin 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: April 24, 2026