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Women, Infants and Children nutrition program

WIC services

Our services include:

  • Healthy eating tips and health information
  • Breastfeeding tips and support
  • Monthly help to buy healthy foods
  • Connection to health care and other local programs

For more information, including the locations of the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department WIC program offices, see the WIC program page for patients.

 

WIC eligibility

Patients can participate in WIC if they meet the income guidelines, need healthy foods, and are one of the following:

  • Women who are: 1) pregnant; 2) gave birth or lost a pregnancy within the past 6 months; or 3) are breastfeeding a baby aged 1 or younger 
  • Infants, up to the infant's first birthday
  • Children, up to the child’s fifth birthday

Refer a patient to WIC

If you are a healthcare provider:

  1. Complete one of these referral forms:
    pediatric | pregnancy | postpartum
  2. Ask your patient to call WIC at (408) 792-5101 or text (888) 413-2698.
 

If you are a healthcare provider or with a community agency:

  1. Complete the WIC program enrollment request form.
  2. Fax it to (408) 294-6315 or email [email protected] and a WIC staff will reach out to the patient.

Refer a patient for breastfeeding support

  1. Complete one of the WIC referral forms above and fax it to (408) 294-6315 or email [email protected]
  2. Ask your WIC participants to call the WIC Breastfeeding support line at (408) 794-0550.

Ask your non-WIC patients to call Nursing Mothers Counsel at (650) 327-6455.

 

WIC-eligible nutritionals and therapeutic formulas

WIC recognizes and promotes breastfeeding as the optimal source of nutrition for infants. We encourage breastfeeding for one year and beyond. For women who do not fully breastfeed, WIC provides iron-fortified infant formula.

 

If one of the standard WIC contract formulas is not appropriate for a patient, refer the patient to Medi-Cal for medically necessary formula or medical food. When these products are not a covered benefit for Medi-Cal, healthcare providers may send the request to WIC. 

Suggested procedures for medical formulas and nutritionals

  1. Refer patient to health plan or pharmacy.
  2. Submit medical justification.
  3. Wait for approval.
  4. If approved, accept formula shipment and reorder monthly.
  5. if denied, unavailable, or in a pending status, complete the WIC Medical formula and nutritional request form and refer the request to WIC.

For reference, see summary of WIC-eligible nutritionals and therapeutic formulas and related procedures.

A WIC medical formula and nutritional request form must be completed by the healthcare provider every three to six months for a prescribed medical formula and nutritionals for patient receiving formula from any sources, or for requesting medical formula and nutritionals from WIC. For more information, visit CDPH WIC healthcare providers.

As of August 1, 2022, the standard WIC infant formula has changed. The new milk-based formula is Similac. The soy-based Enfamil formula and therapeutic formulas offered remains the same. For more information, visit Infant formula transition for WIC families.