Cleveland County WIC
Phone Number: (980)484-5170
Operating Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday
WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. For additional information please visit the North Carolina WIC Page or our local Facebook Page.
Who is WIC for? | What benefits does WIC provide? |
To be eligible for WIC you must meet the requirements below. Please access the Eligibility Overview below for more information or use the Pre-Screening tool here to check your eligibility status.
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The WIC Program promotes healthy habits and healthy families:
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Ready to apply for the WIC program? Click here to fill out the application referral form or call 980-484-5170 to be connected with your local WIC office. |
To help participants practice these habits, WIC provides basic nutritious foods to eligible pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, as well as infants and children. These foods are rich in protein, iron, calcium, fiber and vitamins.
The North Carolina WIC Program uses an electronic benefit transfer system (eWIC) for WIC benefit issuance to access food benefits and cash-value vouchers (for fruits and vegetables) at authorized retail grocery stores and pharmacies. Participants are issued a NC eWIC card at their initial visit to a local WIC clinic. The Local WIC Agency issues the WIC food benefits for a participant into an electronic benefit account. Families then use their eWIC card and PIN to access their food benefits at the grocery store. In some cases, special formulas are distributed directly to the participant from the WIC local agency.
- Using your North Carolina eWIC Card - Quick Tips PDF
- Using your North Carolina eWIC Card - Full Brochure PDF
- Cómo usar su tarjeta eWIC de Carolina del Norte - Consejos rápidos PDF
- Cómo usar su tarjeta eWIC de Carolina del Norte - Folleto completo PDF
- NC eWIC Healthy Foods Shopping Guide 2020 - PDF
- NC eWIC Guía de compras de alimentos saludables 2020 - PDF
Breastfeeding Promotion and Support
Breastfeeding promotion and support is an integral part of the WIC Program. WIC strives to increase the initiation, duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding among women enrolled in the Program. All WIC agencies have trained personnel ready to assist mothers in making informed decisions about their infant feeding choice. WIC also instructs mothers in the basics of breastfeeding. Many WIC agencies have breastfeeding peer counselor support programs that provide mother-to-mother counseling. In addition, all local WIC agencies provide breastfeeding aids such as manual and electric breast pumps. WIC offers a food package for women who exclusively breastfeed their babies. This food package adds tuna or salmon in cans or pouches, as well as additional amounts of whole grains, cereal, milk, cheese, juice, peanut butter, beans, peas and lentils. For breastfeeding support please call 980-484-5155 during normal working hours or 704-692-1672 for after hours.
Eligibility Overview
WIC is available to pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants and children up to age five. To participate, these persons must:
- Live in North Carolina.
- Have a family income less than 185% of the U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines. A person receiving Medicaid, Work First Families Assistance (TANF), or assistance from the NC Food and Nutrition Services automatically meets the income eligibility requirement.
- Be at nutritional risk. A nutritionist or other health professional makes the nutritional risk assessment at no cost to the participant, usually at the local WIC office.
When you go to apply for WIC, please remember to bring:
- Proof of identification (for all individuals applying for WIC)
- Proof of income (for all household members with income)
- Proof of residence (where you live)
Examples of what you will need to bring:
- Identification: (Only one is needed) - Valid driver's license, Social Security card, current work/school ID, current Medicaid card, current military ID, birth certificate, immunization record, and for infants: hospital crib card, ID bracelet or mother’s verification of facts form.
- Residence (where you live): (Only one is needed) - Current utility bill, valid driver’s license, current Medicaid card (or presumptive eligibility form), bank statement, current rental or mortgage receipts, Division of Motor Vehicle ID card.
- Income: Current paycheck stubs, if self-employed your recent tax return or history of earnings for the past twelve months, current Medicaid card, a letter of certification for the NC Food and Nutrition Services, a letter from your employer stating gross income and frequency of pay, unemployment letter/notice.
To qualify for WIC, applicants must be both income eligible and have an identified medical/nutritional risk factor. These criteria will be assessed when you apply for WIC at your local WIC office.
With some exceptions, each person applying for WIC must be physically present at the time of application at the local WIC office.
For more general information on the NC WIC Program, please visit this website.