The acronym WIC actually stands for a much longer name: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women and Infant Children. As the name implies, it is a program managed by the federal government’s Food and Drug Administration to help provide assistance to needy children and breastfeeding or pregnant mothers. WIC has been providing assistance to these individuals since the mid 1970s. Basically, those who qualify for other types of government aid like Food Stamps, Medicaid, or TANF automatically qualify for this program as well. The aid is typically distributed to women in the form of an electronic card, much like a debit card, that can be used in any grocery or supermarket electronic card reader. Alternatively, some states still issue checks that can only be issued for the purchase of certain food items.

Most people automatically think of milk and baby formula when they hear the term “WIC,” but the program is actually designed to provide much more. In addition to those basic nutritional needs, WIC also provides assistance for the purchase of many breakfast foods like juice, eggs and cheese, as well as other items like peanut butter and cheese. For those who are unable to drink normal cow’s milk, the program also applies to soy based products like soy milk and tofu for protein and calcium.

There are rules to the products that can be purchased by the WIC program. Those taking advantage of the benefit are required to purchase the least expensive brand of the product, typically a generic or store brand. In addition, there are limits to the quantities that can be purchased at any given time. Do to the use of electronic cards, much of the historical abuse of this assistance program has been eliminated. Recipients are no longer able to sell checks or vouchers for less than face value to those who do not qualify for the program, or who may have exhausted their benefits for a given period.