Applying For Ohio WIC
Ohio WIC (Women, Infants and Children) is handled by the Ohio Department of Health. They are responsible for determing the eligibility requirements, application process and are in charge of providing the benefits and services to WIC participants. The Ohio 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 Ohio 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 OH 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 Ohio WIC program provides nutrition education, breastfeeding education and support. Supplemental, highly nutritious foods such as cereal, eggs, milk, whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables, and iron-fortified infant formula and referral to prenatal and pediatric health care and other maternal and child health and human service programs.
Ohio WIC Eligibility
The following people are eligible to apply for Ohio WIC benefits:
- Pregnant women
- Breastfeeding women
- Women who recently had a baby
- Infants birth through 12 months
- Children age 1 to 5 years
Ohio WIC participants need to be:
- Present at the clinic appointment
- Provide proof of identity
- Residents of the State of Ohio
- Determined by health professionals to be at medical/nutritional risk, and
- Meets income guidelines, which is 185% of Federal Poverty Income Guidelines
Ohio WIC Program Income Guidelines
In order to be eligible for WIC, the gross countable income of the economic unit, of which the applicant/participant is a member, must be less than or equal to the Ohio WIC program income guidelines for economic unit size. To see if you income qualify, view the Ohio WIC Income Guidelines.
Ohio WIC Application
To start the application process for Ohio WIC benefits, you need to call your local WIC clinic to schedule an appointment. WIC clinics are located in all 88 Ohio counties. If you need assistance in finding a WIC clinic near you, then call the Help Me Grow Helpline at 800-755-4769.
You can also apply by printing out a WIC Program Application and mailing it to the WIC clinic in your area. Please note that you still are required to schedule an appointment at the clinic.
Ohio WIC Appointment
To save time at your appointment, you can also print out a health history form from the list below. Print out one health history form for each person applying. Be sure to complete the form that best describes the person:
- Infant (birth to 12 months old)
- Child (age 1 to 5 years)
- Pregnant or
- Breastfeeding woman or who has had a baby in the last 6 months and is not pregnant
The WIC staff will help you to make sure you receive health and nutrition information that is individualized to you and your family based on the information on these completed forms.
- WIC Health History for Infants
- WIC Health History for Children
- WIC Health History for Pregnant Women
- WIC Health History for Breastfeeding and Postpartum Women
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 Ohio WIC program is to improve the nutritional status of infants, OH 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 Ohio 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
Ohio 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 OH 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 Ohio 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 Ohio 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 OH 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 Ohio 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 OH WIC program.
If you still have questions or issues about the program, then you can contact your local Ohio WIC program that manages these benefits and services.