Applying For Guam WIC

Guam WIC (Women, Infants and Children) is handled by the Guam Department of Public Health & Social Services. They are responsible for determing the eligibility requirements, application process and are in charge of providing the benefits and services to WIC participants. The Guam WIC program aims to protect the health of low income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants and children up to the age of 5 who are at a nutritional risk. This is done through WIC approved nutritious foods you can purchase using paper vouchers/checks, or in some states your WIC EBT card.

Nutrition Risk Requirements

Anyone who applies for Guam WIC benefits must be seen by a health professional such as a physician, nurse, or nutritionist. They must determine whether the applicant is at a nutrition risk. In most cases, this can be done at a local WIC clinic at no cost to the applicant. However, if need be, this information can be obtained from another health professional such as the applicants doctor. Being a nutrition risk means that an individual has a medical-based or dietary-based condition.

For medical-based condition it could be anemia, underweight or a history of poor pregnacy outcome. For a dietary-based condition, this could include having a poor diet. At a minimum, the applicant's height and weight must be taken and bloodwork drawn up to check for anemia. An applicant must have at least one of the medical or dietary conditions listed on the state's list of WIC nutrition risk criteria.

WIC Prescreening

Before applying for the GU WIC program, you can see if you are potentially eligible through the online Prescreening Tool. Please note, this tool is not considered an application. You still need to follow the application process for this state. It takes about 15 minutes to complete.

The Guam WIC program provides:

• Nutritional group classes
• Personalized nutrition counseling
• Breastfeeding information and support, including hospital and home visits
• Food guides for feeding yourself, your infants, and your children
• Supplemental foods, such as milk, eggs, fortified cereals etc
• Infant cereal, infant vegetables, and infant fruits
• Referrals to other community programs as needed

Guam WIC Eligibility

You can apply for Guam WIC benefits if you are a:

• Pregnant woman
• Postpartum woman (up to 6 months after infant's birth)
• Breastfeeding woman (up to infant's 1st birthday)
• Infants 0-11 months old
• Children under 5 years old

Where to apply for Guam WIC

To start the application process started, you would need to find your local WIC clinic location and call to schedule an appointment. Please note, all locations are closed on the last Friday of the month and on Government of Guam holidays. To view a list of local WIC clinics, click here or view the list below.

Guam WIC Clinics

Guam WIC Appointment

You will need to bring the following information with you to your appointment:

Paycheck Stubs
Most recent paycheck stubs of everyone working and/or retired in the household. Any proof of cash income, such as child support, tips, or LES document.

Notice of Action
Most recent Notice of Action for Medicaid, SNAP (formerly Food Stamp), or TANF.

Proof of Residency
Any document with the caretaker's name and home address, such as a Guam driver's license, lease/rental agreement, utility/cable bill, or a note from homeowner where you live with supporting name and home address.

Current proof of ID
For adults, you need to being a valid Guam ID Card, Passport, Driver's License (if received 5/1/2017 or later), or Work or School ID.

For infants (0-11 months old) you can bring a crib card, hospital birth certificate, or official birth certificate; and shot record/immunization card.

For Children (under 5 years old) you can bring an official birth certificate and shot record/immunization card.

Bring the infant and/or child under 5 years old that is applying for the Guam WIC program. For legal guardians, if not natural parents, bring court documents.

Guam eWIC System

Guam now uses the eWIC system. This replaces paper checks and vouchers with a WIC EBT (Electronic benefit transfer) Card. This allows you to purchase WIC approved foods at your local grocery store with more convenience. At check out, you would hand the cashier your Guam WIC EBT card and they will swipe it just like a debit or credit card. It will then deduct the amount from your WIC balance.

Before you shop, it is recommended that you verify your benefits. To do that you can check them online at EBTEdge.com, call customer service at 877-216-3082 or through a WIC point of sales system (POS), where the cashier can get your current balance. Instead of going down to the WIC clinic each month to pickup new checks or vouchers, your benefits will now be refilled electronically each month on your Guam WIC EBT Card.

Guam eWIC Customer Service
Call toll free at 877-216-3082. They are available 24 hrs/7 days a week. They provide the following:

• Set up, change, or reset your PIN
• Check your current balance of WIC benefits
• Check transaction history
• Check items purchased during or right after the transaction
• Report if eWIC card is lost, stolen, damaged, or not working

WIC Breastfeeding

Research has shown that breast milk is the best food for the baby's first year of life. Breastfeeding provides many health, nutritional and economical benefits to mother and baby. Since a major goal of the Guam WIC program is to improve the nutritional status of infants, GU WIC encourages participating mothers to choose breastfeeding in the following ways:

• Mothers are provided with breastfeeding information and support
• Breastfeeding mothers are eligible to participate in Guam WIC longer than non-breastfeeding mothers
• Mothers who exclusively breastfeed receive a larger amount and variety of foods
• Mothers can receive a pump and other breastfeeding items if needed to help support the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding

Length of WIC Participation

Guam WIC is considered a short-term program. A participate "graduates" at the end of one or more of their certification periods. A certification period is the length of time a GU WIC participate is eligible to receive benefits. Depending on the persons condition, either pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding, an infant or child, an eligible person usually receives benefits from 6 months to a year, at which time they are required to re-apply.

The WIC Waiting List

In some situations, WIC agencies may not have enough financial backing to serve everyone who qualifies for the Guam WIC program or those who call to apply. At this point, the WIC agencies must keep a list that is referred to as the "waiting list". It contains all of the individuals who want to apply for the Guam WIC program and are likely to be served. From there, the WIC agencies use a special system called a "Priority System". Based on conditions like most serious health conditions (anemia, underweight, pregnancy problems), this system will determine who will be served next to receive GU WIC benefits. There are 7 priorities used in this priority system, the details for each priority and how they are determined are listed below.

Priority 1
The following applicants with nutrition-related medical conditions such as anemia, underweight, overweight or pre-term birth:

• Pregnant Women
• Breastfeeding Women
• Infants

Priority 2
Infants up to 6 months of age whose mothers participated in WIC or could have participated and had nutrition-related medical conditions.

Priority 3
Children with nutrition-related medical conditions.

Priority 4
The following applicants with dietary problems, for example a poor diet:

• Infants
• Pregnant Women
• Breastfeeding Women

Priority 5
Children with dietary problems, for example a poor diet.

Priority 6
Postpartum (non-breastfeeding) women with nutrition related-medical conditions or dietary problems.

Priority 7
Current WIC participants who without providing the WIC supplemental foods could continue to have medical and/or dietary problems.

Please note, state agencies can decide to place homeless and migrant participants in Priorities 5 through 7. At the state agencies option, postpartum women may be placed in Priorities 3 through 5. Any priority can be subdivided into subcategories of risk, using factors such as income or age.

WIC Participants who are Moving

If you are receiving Guam WIC benefits and are moving from one area or state to another, then you will be placed at the top of a waiting list when you move and are also served first when the WIC agency can serve more individuals. While moving, you can still continue to receive your benefits until your certification period expires as long as there is proof that you are receiving WIC benefits in another area or state. Before you move, you need to contact your local WIC clinic and let them know.

In most cases the staff will give you a special card, Verification of Certification Card (VOC), which will prove that you are receiving WIC benefits. After you do move, you will then need to call the WIC clinic in your new area to schedule an appointment. When attending your appointment, make sure to take the VOC card that was given to you to show proof that you were participating in the GU WIC program.

If you still have questions or issues about the program, then you can contact your local Guam WIC program that manages these benefits and services.