Eligibility

Who is eligible and who can apply?

  • Pregnant women
  • Women who are breastfeeding a baby under 1 year of age
  • Women who have had a baby in the past six months
  • Parents, step-parents, guardians, and foster parents of infants and children under the age of 5 can apply for their children

If you have a job or if you have private health insurance, you can still apply for WIC. You do not have to be married to apply for WIC.

For more eligibility requirements, see below.

What about fathers?

Fathers of children under the age of 5 are encouraged to enroll their children in the WIC program. Just like any other parent or guardian, fathers can bring their children to appointments, attend nutrition classes, and receive and redeem benefits for their children. Active participation by fathers is a great help in keeping WIC children healthy.

Are services free?

  • Yes! All WIC services are free to those who are eligible.

Who provides the services?

  • The Department of Public Health runs the CNMI WIC program and provides funds 

Eligibility Requirements

  • Meet the income guidelines. Households with incomes at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty income level are eligible. WIC determines income based on gross income. WIC counts all of the members of a household, related or unrelated. WIC counts an unborn baby as a household member. Click here to see the new Income Guidelines Effective July 1, 2008 (In reference to Federal Register Vol. 72 No. 48 Dated Tuesday March 13, 2007 of Special supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Income Eligibility Guidelines)
  • Be at nutritional risk. WIC clients receive an initial health and diet screening at a WIC clinic to determine nutritional risk. WIC uses two main categories of nutritional risk: (1) medically-based risks such as a history of poor pregnancy outcome, underweight status, or iron-deficiency anemia, and (2) diet-based risks such as poor eating habits that can lead to poor nutritional and health status. Clients will be counseled at WIC about these risks and the outcome influenced by nutrition education and nutritious foods provided by WIC.
  • Live in the CNMI. WIC clients usually receive services in the county where they live. U.S. citizenship is not a requirement for eligibility.
  • Clients must apply in person except in certain limited cases.

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How to Become a WIC Client:

  • Are you a pregnant woman, breastfeeding a baby less than one year of age, a postpartum woman (one who had a baby within the last six months), or have an infant or a child who is less than 5 years old? If yes, call (670) 236-8750 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to obtain an appointment.
  • Call or go by the clinic to make an appointment for a pregnant woman, breastfeeding woman, postpartum woman, infant, or child less than 5 years of age.
  • At the time of your appointment, bring documentation of your household's source of income or wages. This applies to all members of the household. Some examples of documentation include a paycheck stub, a current tax return, a letter from an employer, a Social Security check, a child-support check, or self-employed accounting records. Applicants and certain family members who receive Medicaid, or Food Stamps automatically meet income eligibility by bringing acceptable proof of their participation in one of these programs—they do not have to bring other income documents.
  • At the time of your appointment, bring documentation of where you live with your current physical address, such as a utility or credit-card bill, rent receipt, or business letter.
  • At the time of your appointment, bring one document of identification for each person applying for WIC benefits and the adult responsible for the benefits. Examples of acceptable identification documents are a birth certificate, a driver's license, an immunization card, an employee or school identification card with picture, a Social Security card, or hospital records.
  • During the appointment the applicant will undergo a simple health screen including height and weight measurement, a finger stick to screen for low iron, a medical and health history and a diet recall and history to determine nutritional risk.
  • At the end of his or her appointment, an applicant will receive counseling and referral to appropriate health and human services, if applicable. WIC Program eligibility will also be determined. Food benefits will be provided to those eligible.
  • If you have any questions about the above information, lack some item above, or have a special situation, call or go by the clinic before your appointment so the staff may assist you with your situation. Not bringing in all the documentation at the time of your appointment may delay eligibility determination and benefits. A complete screen must be done before eligibility can be determined.

What does WIC provide and who receives the benefits?

WIC provides nutrition education, nutritious foods, referrals to health and human services, breastfeeding support, and immunizations (at some clinics). Food benefits are issued for each client. Both fathers and mothers can receive and spend the benefits for their children.

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WIC Nutrition Education

Clients receive individual nutrition counseling and nutrition classes. Many clinics offer classes especially for children. Men who have family members participating in the program are welcome to attend nutrition classes.

Some of the topics clients can learn about:

  • Eating healthfully during pregnancy for mom and baby
  • Infant and child nutrition — healthy foods for happy children, picky eaters, watching your child’s weight, and lots more
  • How to get the most out of their food dollars
  • Valuable parenting skills
  • Stages of child development
  • The importance of childhood immunizations
  • Tips for pregnant teens
  • Common infant problems, such as colic, constipation, and crying

Breastfeeding Support

Clients receive encouragement and instruction in breastfeeding. In many cases, breastfeeding women are provided breast pumps free of charge. WIC helps clients learn why breastfeeding is the best start for their baby, how to breastfeed while still working, Dad’s role in supporting breastfeeding, tips for teens who breastfeed, how to pump and store breast milk, and much more.

Nutritious Foods (see our Food Guide P1 P2)

WIC provides benefits each month which are taken to grocery stores and used to buy nutritious foods. WIC foods include iron-fortified infant formula and infant cereal, iron-fortified adult cereal, vitamin C–rich fruit and vegetable juice, milk, eggs, cheese, beans, and peanut butter. Different food packages are issued to different clients. For example, mothers who are totally breastfeeding their babies without formula are issued tuna and carrots in addition to other foods.

Referrals

WIC refers clients to a variety of health and social services agencies and programs. WIC staff can help clients find these services. Some examples are:

  • Medicaid
  • Food Stamps
  • Child health insurance
  • Family planning
  • Migrant health services
  • Prenatal care
  • Medical and dental services
  • Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)
  • The School Lunch / Breakfast Summer Lunch Program
  • Literacy Services
  • Drug and alcohol abuse programs
  • Child care
  • Child support enforcement
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Immunizations

The Public Health clinics provide immunizations free of charge

Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program

Some WIC clinics also provide vouchers for clients to shop at farmers’ markets to buy fresh vegetables and fruits — usually during the spring and summer months. This service is not available in the CNMI, due to limited funding.

Health Benefits of WIC

Studies show that WIC plays an important role in improving birth outcomes and containing health-care costs. WIC has a positive impact on children’s diets. WIC improves infant-feeding practices by actively promoting breastfeeding as the best method of feeding infants. WIC clients have improved rates of childhood immunizations and a regular source of health care.

  • Improved infant-feeding practices
  • Premature births reduced
  • Fetal death rate reduced
  • Low birth weight reduced
  • Long-term medical expenses reduced
  • Improved dietary intake
  • Improved cognitive development
  • Fewer premature births

WIC Eligibility Priority System

Sometimes WIC agencies do not have enough money to serve everyone who needs WIC or calls to apply. When this happens, WIC agencies must keep a list, called a waiting list, of individuals who want to apply and are likely to be served. WIC agencies then use a special system, called a Priority System, to determine who will get WIC benefits first when more people can be served. The purpose of the priority system is to make sure that WIC services and benefits are provided first to participants with the most serious health conditions.

Priority I: With Serious Medical Problems (such as anemia, underweight, history of poor pregnancy:

  • Pregnant Women
  • Breastfeeding Women
  • Infants

Priority II:  Moms had serious medical problems

  • Infants (up to 6 months of age) whose mothers participated in WIC or could have participated and had serious medical problems.

Priority III: With Serious Medical Problems

  • Children

Priority IV: With Dietary Problems (like poor diet)

  • Infants
  • Pregnant Women
  • Breastfeeding Women

Priority V: With Dietary Problems

  • Children
  • Priority VI - Any Nutritional Risk
  • Postpartum Women

Priority VII

  • Current WIC participants who without providing the WIC supplemental foods could continue to have medical and dietary problems.

*  State agencies can decide to place homeless and migrant participants in Priorities IV-VII.
*  At State agency option, postpartum women may be placed in Priorities III-V.
*  Any priority can be subdivided into subcategories of risk, using factors such as income or age.