Delaware WIC is the state’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant and Children. This federally funded program provides nutrition and food-related assistance to low-income children, new mothers and pregnant women in order to ensure healthy growth. In Delaware, you must visit a WIC office if you would like to apply for assistance. An appointment must be made prior to your visit and eligibility for yourself and children will be determined during your appointment.

To receive benefits from the WIC program, you must meet residency, income and nutritional risk requirements. Therefore, it is worth learning more about these eligibility requirements in order to determine whether or not you may be eligible. Furthermore, by familiarizing yourself with the benefits that the program provides, you will be better prepared if you are approved for the program.

Learn more about how to apply when you download our free guide.

What are the WIC requirements in Delaware?

Before asking, “Where is a Delaware WIC office near me?” it is worth reviewing the eligibility requirements for the program as benefits will not be issued if you are unable to meet these requirements. When determining WIC eligibility, the most prominent factor is the groups of individuals that can obtain benefits. To receive assistance, you must be:

• A child up to five years of age.
• A woman who is pregnant.
• A woman who is breastfeeding, up to the infant’s first birthday.
• A women who is not breastfeeding, up to six months after the end of a pregnancy.

So long as the additional WIC qualifications are met, fathers, grandparents and other caretakers can apply for benefits for a child, but these individuals will not be eligible for benefits themselves.

If you would like to submit a WIC application in Delaware, you must meet income limits, residency requirements and you must have a nutritional risk. Residency requirements simply require that you be a resident of Delaware and that you are not receiving assistance from another state’s program. Income limitations are based upon federal poverty lines and so these income limits are reassessed on an annual basis. If you are currently receiving assistance from another state program, such as SNAP (food stamps), TANF or Medicaid, you will automatically meet the income requirement for this program.

To receive benefits from WIC, you must have a nutritional risk that is caused by a medical or dietary condition. Your nutrition risk will be assessed during your initial appointment with your local office at no cost to you. There are a variety of examples of a medical or dietary based condition that poses a nutritional risk, such as anemia, underweight, overweight, poor diet or a history of poor pregnancy outcome.

How to Apply for WIC in Delaware

When learning how to apply for WIC in Delaware, it is important to know that an application can only be submitted in person and, generally, by appointment. While some counties do have walk-in hours, most offices will require that an appointment be scheduled prior to your visit. Therefore, it is important to learn more about this initial appointment as this appointment will determine your eligibility for the program as well as provide additional information regarding potential benefits.

At this time, WIC online applications are not available in Delaware due to the restrictions of the state. In addition to online applications, it is worth knowing that you cannot mail an application to your local office either.

What can you get with WIC in Delaware?

Delaware WIC provides numerous benefits that are provided shortly after an application is approved. WIC benefits include:

• Financial assistance for nutritious foods that essential to a healthy growth.
• Information on eating healthy and additional nutrition information that is tailored to each applicant.
• Breastfeeding support and information.
• Referrals to other healthcare, welfare and social services that a family may qualify for in the state.

WIC checks are no longer available in Delaware as the state has opted to use eWIC cards, which work in similarly to a credit or debit card at point of sale terminals. This change provides numerous benefits to beneficiaries as it is easier to check your balance, checkout times are generally faster and recipients no longer have a need to visit a local office to obtain checks each month as benefits are distributed automatically onto the card. When using an eWIC card, authorized food items will be removed from your total purchase price and any remaining charges can be paid by any other type of payment method that you may have.

Learn more about where you can use your benefits when you download our comprehensive guide.

A list of WIC approved foods will be provided for you during your initial appointment at your local office. However, you can generally obtain foods such as:

• Cereal
• Milk
• Juice
• Baby food
• Baby formula
• Peanut butter
• Dried and canned beans
• Eggs
• Bread and tortillas
• Canned fish
• Cheese
• Canned fish

However, when reviewing WIC benefits, it is important to know that each food group has additional rules that must be followed in order for an example to be considered authorized. For example, you may only purchase store and store designated brands of cheese in a 1lb or 16 oz. package. You cannot buy other sized packages or types of cheese such as Velveeta, Kraft, grated cheese, shredded cheese or cheese sticks. Therefore, it is very important that you familiarize yourself with the rules and restrictions on approved foods that your local office will provide.

How to Prepare for a WIC Appointment in Delaware

Your initial Delaware WIC appointment will determine whether or not you or your family may be eligible to receive benefits. Therefore, it is important to prepare for the appointment as well as review the list of documentation that you will need to bring with you to your appointment. In addition to documentation, you must bring any children with you that may qualify for benefits. WIC required documentation includes:

• Proof of income for yourself and everyone within your household, such as with paycheck stubs, a recent tax return or a letter from an employer
• Proof of identity for all applicants, including children, such as with identification cards, driver’s licenses and birth certificates
• Proof of address, such as with a driver’s license, identification card, recent utility bill, rent receipt or a business letter that is addressed to you
• Proof of pregnancy, if you are currently pregnant, such as with a letter from your doctor that says that you are currently pregnant

Note that you will automatically qualify for income requirements if you currently receive benefits from programs such as Medicaid and TANF.

If you fail to provide the WIC office with the necessary documentation, the processing of your application could be delayed until you are able to provide those documents or your application could be denied altogether.

Download our guide to learn how to properly prepare to submit your application.

How to Check Your WIC Balance in Delaware

You can locate your Delaware WIC balance after any eWIC purchase by viewing the receipt provided to you by the cashier. Your remaining food balance will be displayed on each receipt after a purchase. Alternatively, you can also check your balance by contacting the number listed on your eWIC card.