Welcome to WIC: Shopping with your California WIC Card

 

Welcome to WIC

WIC is a Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. WIC serves pregnant women, women who have recently been pregnant, infants, and children up to their 5th birthday.

Moms, dads, grandparents, foster parents, other caregivers, and guardians may apply for the children they are raising. Many working families, including military and migrant workers, as well as families that have private health insurance, are surprised to learn that they qualify for WIC.

WIC provides benefits for a variety of nutritious foods, nutrition education, support for breast or chestfeeding, and referrals to other services in your community. 

About your WIC Visit 

When enrolling in WIC or recertifying for WIC benefits, WIC staff will ask for information to verify your eligibility.

WIC staff may ask you to bring:

  • Your infant or child to the WIC office.
  • Proof of your family’s household income.
  • Proof of your address.
  • Identification.
  • Medical forms filled out by your health care provider.
  • Proof of pregnancy.

At WIC appointments you receive your WIC food benefits and attend a group class or get one-on-one education. Topics the WIC educator or nutritionist may talk about include healthy eating and cooking and how to be active. You will learn what to expect from your infant or toddler’s feeding, and how to get breast or chestfeeding off to a good start.

COVID-19 alert: Most appointments are being done by phone or video during the pandemic.

What if I cannot come to my WIC appointment?

Call your local WIC office to reschedule. You also can send a caretaker. A caretaker is a person you choose who can go to your WIC appointments and shop for you.

  • WIC staff need to know the name of your caretaker so they can keep your WIC file up to date.
  • Your caretaker may complete recertification or follow-up appointments.
  • Your caretaker must show his or her identification at the WIC office.

Using your California WIC Card

At the WIC office you receive a reusable California WIC Card. All your family’s WIC food benefits are together on one WIC Card. The WIC Card is like a debit card and makes shopping easy. Keep your WIC Card safe. Never throw it away. Always bring your WIC Card along with identification to your WIC appointments.

Your Personal Identification Number (PIN)

When you get your California WIC Card, you need to choose a 4-digit Personal Identification Number or PIN. Use your PIN with your WIC Card every time you shop for your WIC foods. Choose a PIN that is easy for you to remember and hard for others to guess.

Keep your PIN safe:

  • Do not write your PIN on your WIC Card or anything you keep with your WIC Card.
  • Do not share your PIN with others. If you have someone shop for you, share your PIN only with a person that you trust.
  • Carefully enter your PIN at the store. You have 4 chances to enter it correctly. After 4 tries, your WIC Card will be locked and you will not be able to get your WIC foods. Call the toll-free number on the back of your card for help. Locking the WIC Card protects against someone trying to guess your PIN and getting your food benefits.

When someone learns your PIN without your approval, you will need to change your PIN. If someone takes your WIC Card and knows your PIN, they could get your WIC foods. Any WIC foods purchased by someone else, before you report your WIC Card lost or stolen, will not be replaced.

Your WIC Food Balance

Your WIC Food Balance shows the foods and the amounts available to your family every month. As you shop and use your WIC foods, your Food Balance will change. Be sure to shop for all of the foods in your WIC Food Balance before they expire.

There are many ways to find your WIC Food Balance:

  • Use the free California WIC App on your smart phone.
  • Get a printout at your WIC office.
  • Look at your store receipt from your last shopping trip.
  • Ask the cashier or customer service desk at the store to print out your WIC Food Balance.
  • Call the toll-free number on the back of your WIC Card, 1-844-4MY-FAMILY or 1-844-469-3264.
  • Go online to www.myfamily.wic.ca.gov.

Pay close attention to the start and end dates of your family food benefits. Your WIC food benefits are good for 30 days and expire at midnight on the end date. Benefits do not carry over to the next month.

Finding a WIC Authorized Store

Use your WIC Card only at stores authorized to accept WIC.

To find a WIC authorized grocery store:

  • Use the free California WIC App on your smart phone.
  • Go online to www.myfamily.wic.ca.gov.
  • Look for a WIC logo near the front door or window of the store.
  • Ask your local WIC office for a list of stores in your area.

At the Store

You can use your WIC Card to get just what you need at each shopping trip.

There are many ways to check the brands, sizes, and types of WIC foods you can get:

  • Use the free California WIC App to scan the package barcode.
  • Look at your WIC Shopping Guide.
  • Ask a store employee for help.

Separate your WIC foods from your non-WIC items as you shop. Keeping your WIC foods separate will make checking out easier. Some stores may have to scan your WIC foods first.

Checking out at the Grocery Store

Stores have slightly different checkout systems. Follow the instructions from the cashier at your store.

Start your checkout:

  • Separate your WIC foods from your non-WIC items. Some stores may need to scan your WIC items first.

  • Tell the cashier you are using your WIC Card.

  • Ask the cashier when to swipe your WIC Card and enter your PIN.

  • Always swipe your WIC Card first before using other forms of payment, such as CalFresh, debit card or cash.

  • Pay close attention as the cashier scans each WIC item.

After the cashier scans all your items:

  • Look over your WIC purchases and make sure all items are correct before your sale is totaled. The cashier may give you a receipt or show you a screen to review.

  • Confirm all your purchases are correct using the card machine. Any foods not available in your WIC Food Balance can be put back or bought using another form of payment.

  • Tell the cashier if you want to put something back before the cashier gives you the final receipt.

  • Give the cashier your store loyalty card and any coupons you have.

  • Pay for any non-WIC items using another form of payment.

  • Wait for the cashier to complete the sale and give you a final receipt. Save your receipt in a safe place, such as your wallet.

Example store receipt. “WIC Purchase,” “Discounts Applied,” “Benefits Expire,” “Remaining WIC Benefits,” and “Fruits and Veggies CVB” are highlighted.

Reading Your Receipt

Note: Your receipt may look different.

WIC Purchase is the WIC foods you buy.

Discounts Applied is any discounts for coupons, store loyalty card

Benefits Expire is the last day you can get the rest of your WIC foods. Your food benefits will expire at midnight on that day.

Remaining WIC Benefits is the WIC Food Balance for your family

Fruits and Veggies CVB is the dollar amount of cash benefit fruits and vegetables for your family

Protect Your WIC Card

  • Keep your WIC Card in a safe place, such as your wallet.
  • Do not bend your WIC Card.
  • Keep your WIC Card away from cell phones, direct sunlight, heat, magnets, TVs, and microwaves. These can damage the magnetic stripe which contains important information about your WIC benefits.

Getting help with your WIC Card and PIN 

Call the automated toll-free number on the back of your WIC Card, 1-844-4MY-FAMILY or 1-844-469-3264, with questions or problems.

These include:

  • To report your card lost, stolen, or damaged. This number is available to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Keep this number somewhere separate from your WIC Card.
  • To unlock your WIC Card after 4 tries. Or, you can wait until after midnight for the PIN to reset.
  • To get your WIC Food Balance.
  • To change your PIN.

Call your WIC office 

  • To answer specific questions about your WIC benefits and the WIC Card.
  • To replace your WIC Card if it is lost, stolen, or damaged.
  • To report WIC foods you think are authorized, but did
    not go through at the store.

Contact Information and Resources

  • Free California WIC App
  • Toll-free WIC Card phone number for general questions and to report problems: 1-844-4MY-FAMILY or 1-844-469-3264
  • California WIC Family Portal: www.myfamily.wic.ca.gov
  • General WIC Information: www.wicworks.ca.gov
  • Fraud or program abuse email: WICabuse@cdph.ca.gov
  • Local WIC office phone number: on an appointment reminder card

Easy Cheesy Burritos

Makes 2

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1  tablespoon oil
  • 2  small whole wheat tortillas
  • 1⁄4 cup shredded cheese
  • 1⁄2 cup prepared salsa

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, stir together eggs, water, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

  2. Sprinkle each tortilla with 1⁄2 of the cheese.

  3. In a pan, warm oil over medium-high heat. Pour in egg mixture. Stir gently until cooked through and no liquid egg remains.

  4. Spoon eggs onto tortillas, dividing equally between the two tortillas. Roll up like a burrito.

  5. In a clean pan over medium-high heat, lightly brown egg burritos to melt the cheese and toast tortillas.

  6. Serve burritos with salsa.  

Adapted from Health eKitchen on wichealth.org

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