Public Health Madison & Dane County

Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Program

For Madison & Dane County, Wisconsin

As COVID-19 continues to impact us locally, we will be closing all Public Health Madison & Dane County offices to the public effective Thursday, March 19, 2020.

Although this decision was not arrived at easily, it is a decision that we needed to make. We are prioritizing preserving the health and safety of our staff and clients while continuing to maintain our ability to provide essential services, including our response to COVID-19.

We will continue providing services through alternate avenues, detailed below, but at this time we are reducing our direct contact with the public.

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) our WIC clinic is closed. Staff are available by phone for appointments and questions. If you have a scheduled appointment, you will receive a phone call from WIC on the day of the appointment. WIC benefits will be loaded onto your WIC card at the time of the phone call. Please contact the clinic with any questions.

Due to COVID-19, we are no longer distributing vehicle registration gift cards during clinic hours. Please stay tuned. We will begin providing gift cards again once our offices are open.

The WIC Program works to improve the health of women, infants and children who may be nutritionally at risk by providing healthy foods, health information, and referrals to health care.

Vehicle Registration Gift Cards

Families who participate in WIC, who own a car(s), and live in the City of Madison are eligible to receive a $40 VISA gift card. The gift card is an initiative funded by the City of Madison to off-set the burden of the additional $40 vehicle registration fee that is in effect for 2020. If a family has more than one vehicle, they are eligible for more than one gift card.

To receive a gift card, WIC participants must first pay their vehicle registration in 2020. They must also provide proof that the registration was paid. The Certificate of Vehicle Registration must be shown at the time the gift card is received. This certificate is mailed with vehicle tags.

Gift cards will be provided during WIC appointments and during normal clinic hours on a walk-in basis. Contact WIC at 608-267-1111 for more information.

What the WIC Program Provides

• Education about nutrition
• Education and support for breastfeeding

  • Breastfeeding Peer Counselors help moms meet their breastfeeding goals by offering information, resources, and support. Peer Counselors are breastfeeding moms trained by WIC to help prepare mom's to successful breastfeed their babies and navigate any issues they encounter. Moms have regular contact with their Peer Counselor and have access to them via phone, email, and text to ensure they feel well supported and confident through their breastfeeding journey.

• Healthy foods to supplement your diet
• Referrals to other services

We can also give information about:

• Breastfeeding and infant feeding
• Car seats
• Fetal and child growth and development
• Depression and emotional health
• Domestic violence
• Exercise
• Health insurance
• Housing and home safety
• How to stop smoking
• Immunizations
• Medical and dental resources
• Planning your next pregnancy
• Safe sleeping
• Other community resources

Eligibility

To be eligible for WIC benefits in Wisconsin, you must:

• Be a resident of Wisconsin; and
• Have a child under 5 years old or be pregnant; and
• Be income eligible based on the WIC income guidelines (WIC staff will help determine income eligibility)
  • You may be automatically income eligible if you participate in other programs such as:
    • FoodShare
    • Medicaid
    • BadgerCare Plus
    • Wisconsin Works Program (W-2)

Apply

For information, or to apply for WIC, call (608) 267-1111.

Or, you can fill out the pre-qualification form and we will contact you to review your eligibility and schedule an appointment.

Fill out the pre-qualification form

Any legal guardians, including kinship care and foster parents can apply for WIC for their children.

Nondiscrimination Statement (English, Español, Hmong)