WIC Program Overview

California WIC serves approximately 1 million participants statewide each month. Approximately 60 percent of all California resident births in a given year are eligible for the WIC program. To be eligible, applicants' annual household income must fall at or below 185 percent of the U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines and deemed to have a nutritional risk. Individuals can check their eligibility by visiting the How Can I Get WIC​ webpage.

Current recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/CalFresh), Medi-Cal beneficiaries, or persons receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF/CalWORKs), are adjunctively eligible.

California WIC contracts with 83 local agencies that operate approximately 500 service sites statewide. The WIC local agencies include county health departments, federally qualified health centers, non-profit agencies, and other types of organizations such as universities. WIC local agencies help certify participant eligibility, provide nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support, and referrals to healthcare and other community resources. In addition, the WIC local agencies issue the California WIC Card for families to purchase healthy foods that support the nutrition needs of pregnant, breastfeeding, postpartum individuals (including those who have experienced pregnancy loss), infants, and young children. The WIC program recognizes and promotes breastfeeding as the natural source of nutrition and immunity from disease for infants. For participants who choose not to breastfeed, WIC provides monthly benefits to purchase iron-fortified infant formula. Participants can use their WIC Card at nearly 3,700 WIC authorized grocery stores throughout California. Many WIC families also receive benefits through a quick response (QR) code on their California WIC Card to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs from local WIC authorized farmers' markets through the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program.​

Key Facts

In federal fiscal year 2024 (October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024), WIC served about 6.74 million participants per month nationwide, including nearly one million participants per month in California. In California, nearly 60% of infants born each year are eligible for WIC.

California has 83 local WIC agencies, which can include county health departments, federally qualified health centers, non-profit agencies, and other types of organizations such as universities. These agencies provide WIC services in approximately 500 sites throughout California.

California has approximately 3,700 authorized vendors/grocers where WIC participants can use their WIC Card.

See our Research and Data page or the Budget Estimate​ for more info.