WIC - Women, Infants & Children

WIC benefits make it easier for you to shop for healthy food, and can be used at participating grocery stores and farmers markets within New York State.

The WIC benefits cover foods including:

• Baby Food
• Brown Rice
• Canned Fish
• Cereal
• Cheese
• Dried or Canned Beans/Peas
• Eggs
• Fruit Juice
• Fruits and Vegetables
• Infant Formula
• Milk
• Peanut Butter
• Tofu
• Tortillas
• Whole Grain Bread
• Whole Wheat Pasta
• Yogurt

Due to the formula shortage, the NYS WIC formulary has alternate options for a limited time.  Depending on the formula you receive, you may be able to temporarily purchase a combination of formula brands and alternate container sizes.  If you can't find your assigned formula in the stores, the following resources are available:

See a list of WIC-approved baby formulas in New York State.

Learn more about foods and formula from New York State's WIC Vendors.

Please review the household size and income per pay periods to help determine if you're eligible for WIC benefits:

Effective 2023 - 2024
Pregnant individuals count as two people

One person household:
Annual: $26,973
Monthly: $2,248
Twice-monthly: $1,124
Bi-weekly: $1,038
Weekly: $519

Two person household:
Annual: $36,482
Monthly: $3,041
Twice-monthly: $1,521
Bi-weekly: $1,404
Weekly: $702

Three person household:
Annual: $45,991
Monthly: $3,833
Twice-monthly: $1,917
Bi-weekly: $1,769
Weekly: $885

Four person household:
Annual: $55,500
Monthly: $4,625
Twice-monthly: $2,313
Bi-weekly: $2,135
Weekly: $1,068

Five person household:
Annual: $65,009
Monthly: $5,418
Twice-monthly: $2,709
Bi-weekly: $2,501
Weekly: $1,251

Six person household:
Annual: $74,518
Monthly: $6,210
Twice-monthly: $3,105
Bi-weekly: $2,867
Weekly: $1,434

Seven person household:
Annual: $84,027
Monthly: $7,003
Twice-monthly: $3,502
Bi-weekly: $3,232
Weekly: $1,616

Eight person household:
Annual: $93,536
Monthly: $7,795
Twice-monthly: $3,898
Bi-weekly: $3,598
Weekly: $1,799

For each additional person:
Annual: +$9,509
Monthly: +$793
Twice-monthly: +$397
Bi-weekly: +$366
Weekly: +$183

In the Capital Region, WIC has many convenient locations in Albany, Ravena, Berne, Knox, and Westerlo. The WIC office has evening appointments available. To find out if you are eligible for WIC and to begin enrollment, please call the WIC office at 518-432-4033.

We offer breastfeeding discussion groups for anyone thinking about or planning to breastfeed. Bring your partner, family, or friends - anyone in your support system!  It's free to attend!

Share questions and learn facts about breastfeeding and all of its great benefits.

Discussion topics include:

• Is breastfeeding for me?
• Breastfeeding when pregnant
• Breastfeeding in the hospital
• Postpartum breastfeeding
• How long should I breastfeed?
• Breastfeeding at work/school
• Breastfeeding and relationships

Signing up for a group is simple!  Ask a WIC staff member at your next appointment, or call the office at 518-432-4033.

Upcoming Dates (In-person only)

• Monday June 17, 2024 at 12:30 p.m.
• Friday July 12, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.
• Wednesday August 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.

*Future dates to be determined

June - July 2024

June starts farmers market season!

Certified infants six months or older, children, and women with a qualifying category are eligible to receive additional fruits and vegetable cash vouchers to use at local farmers markets this summer.

The vouchers are valid to use from June through November 2024. We will provide a list of locations at which these vouchers can be redeemed. The office will issue the vouchers at your appointment, but please feel free to call the office if you would like to get them sooner.

What can you buy with these coupons?  Fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs at the farmers market!  You cannot buy non-produce items like apple cider, honey, maple syrup, eggs, baked goods, jam/jelly, plants, decorative pumpkins/gourds, or tropical/citrus items.

How do you use these coupons? Find a vendor at the market that accepts the coupons, pick out the produce you'd like to buy, and pay the vendor using the voucher like you would with cash.

For questions, visit the information booth at the market. Some markets may have different protocols.

*Vendors cannot give you change, so they may add produce or ask you to pick out something else to make up the difference.

Breastfeeding Corner:

New York State has added new laws for breast milk pumping breaks and pregnancy at work.

On June 19, 2024, all New York employers, regardless of size, will be required to provide paid breaks for employees who need to express breast milk for a nursing child. Currently, employers are only required to provide reasonable unpaid break time or allow an employee to use existing paid break or meal time to express breast milk during the workday.

The new law requires employers to provide 30-minute paid breaks each time an employee has a reasonable need to express breast milk, for up to three years following the birth of the child.  The law will also require employers to allow employees to use existing paid break or meal time, when nursing breaks longer than 30 minutes are needed.

Lactation rooms or spaces must be close to the work area, well lit, shielded from view, and free from intrusion from other people in the workplace. The rooms must be supplied with a chair, a working surface, nearby access to clean running water, an electrical outlet, and refrigeration (if there is access in the workplace) for the purposes of storing the milk.

Paid Parental Leave:

Beginning January 1, 2025, all private employers will be required to provide employees with 20 hours of prenatal leave. This will allow pregnant employees to attend prenatal medical appointments and other pregnancy-related health care needs.

Breastfeeding Discussion Group:

WIC offers group gatherings for anyone planning to breastfeed or already breastfeeding. Bring your partner, family, or friends. Share questions and learn facts about breastfeeding and its benefits.  Classes are free.  They are in-person only.

Group dates:

• Monday June 17, 2024 at 12:30 p.m.
• Friday July 12, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.
• Wednesday August 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.

To sign up, ask a WIC staff member at your next appointment or call the office at 518-432-4033

If you have questions about breastfeeding, call our office at 518-432-4033 or call our Peer Counselor Jackie at 518-649-3885

WIC Reminders:

Please email or fax measurements!  During the pandemic, WIC staff was allowed to accept verbally reported measurements for you and/or your children. However, we now need written or in-person measurements to update growth charts.   Feel free to email or fax us a WIC form, a doctor's visit summary, or screenshot of your health portal.

Please update your email addresses!  Recently, we have started emailing most handouts instead of sending via mail. Please inform the office if your email address has changed.

Don't forget to use your benefits! Utilizing your WIC benefits helps our program receive appropriate funding to continue to serve our community.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800)-877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-
508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling 866-632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD[1]3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
fax: 833-256-1665 or 202-690-7442; or
email: [email protected]

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

For other complaints or to request a Fair Hearing contact:

Mail: WIC Program Director NYSDOH, Riverview Center 150 Broadway, 6th Floor, Albany, N.Y., 12204
Phone: 518-402-7093;
Fax: 518-402-7348; or email: [email protected]