Department of Health, Department of Health Facilities, and Department of Human Services

​The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Office of Nutrition Services today announced new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) income eligibility guidelines for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). The new guidelines indicate a family of four can earn $44,863 and still qualify for WIC program benefits. This amounts to a $740 increase from last year, and will allow more West Virginia families to enroll in the program.

“Our goal is to provide nutritional services and information that help keep West Virginia families healthy,” said Dr. Rahul Gupta, State Health Officer and Commissioner for the Bureau for Public Health. “Currently, West Virginia WIC serves nearly 43,000 mothers and young children monthly.  With the expanded income guidelines, we can serve more families.”

West Virginia WIC serves 75% of all babies born in West Virginia. Families enrolled in the program receive nutrition education, breastfeeding education, nutritious foods, and access to maternal, prenatal and pediatric healthcare services that may otherwise be unavailable.

The new income guidelines are:

Household Size	Gross Income Weekly	Gross Income Monthly	Gross Income Yearly
1	$ 419	$1,815	$21,775
2	$ 567	$ 2,456	$ 29,471
3	$ 715	$ 3,098	$ 37,167
4	$ 863	$ 3,739	$ 44,863
For each additional family member add:	$ 148	$    642	$   7,696

The Office of Nutrition Services reports an additional 7,500 West Virginians could be served under the expanded WIC guidelines. Eligibility projections indicate as many as 52,164 residents qualify for the program.  Fathers, mothers, grandparents, foster parents or any legal guardian of a child under five may apply.

To learn more about WIC services or how to apply for benefits, call the local WIC clinic or 304-558-0030.  More information is available online at http://ons.wvdhhr.org/.