WIC - Southern Seven Health Department & Head Start

What is WIC?

WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. In Illinois it is administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Even if you or your family members are working, it can be hard to make ends meet. WIC can help with the right food and advice from trained staff on nutrition, health care, and immunizations.

WIC strives to improve the health of participants by providing coupons for nutritious foods, nutrition education and counseling, and providing referrals to other Health and Social Service Agencies.

Am I eligible?

You must be:

A pregnant woman or breastfeeding up to one year after giving birth
A new mother, up to six months after giving birth
A parent, guardian or caretaker who has an infant or child younger than 5 years of age

Do you meet the income guidelines?

Your annual household income must be within WIC Guidelines (You may have a job and still meet these guidelines)

Do you have a medical or nutritional health risk?

A screening by a WIC Certifying Health Professional must find that you have a medical or nutritional health risk such as low iron, low weight gain during pregnancy, or opportunities to make improvements in your diet/nutrition.

Schedule an appointment at your local Southern Seven Public Health Clinic to enroll.
Use the links below to see if you qualify.

Income Guidelines (English and Spanish)

WIC Prescreening Tool

Dads can qualify too!

WIC approved foods:

Foods that are available to purchase with WIC include a variety of grains, milk, meat and beans, fruits and vegetables, baby foods, and formula products.
The following are some examples of WIC approved food items:

Milk
Cheese
Instant Formula
Eggs
Juice
Fruits
Vegetables
Cereal
Peanut Putter
Dried Peas
Dried Beans
Infant Cereal
Infant Juice

Your first WIC appointment:

At your first WIC appointment, please bring the following with you:

Identification (e.g., driver's license, photo ID)
Proof of pregnancy (e.g., note from doctor/clinic verifying a positive pregnancy test)
Proof of income (e.g., two recent pay stubs, public aid card, income fax form)
Proof of residency (e.g., utility bill or recent mail with dated postal stamp)
Proof of birth (e.g., birth certificate or hospital foot prints for your infant or child)
Immunization Records: The above information is reviewed, along with the participants health history. A health screening is performed on each participant. From there, information is plotted on growth charts and evaluated individually to determine WIC eligibility. Participants are then counseled by a health professional. Eating habits are discussed and food histories are evaluated. At that time, each participant is informed of their eligibility and WIC Program responsibilities.