Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program

WIC is a federally funded supplemental nutrition program aimed at ensuring healthy children and reducing infant mortality through the prevention of nutritional deficits. The program provides a combination of nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, referrals to service agencies and health care, and free healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain bread, milk, cheese, yogurt, juice, cereal, peanut butter, eggs, tuna, baby food and formula. WIC serves moderate to low income pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five. 

Nutrition education is a key component of the WIC program. WIC nutritionists provide individual education to WIC participants, and presentations to community groups. Additional nutrition education is available online at www.wichealth.org.

Check to see if you may be eligible for WIC benefits.

• Michigan WIC Food Guide (06/01/2022)
• How WIC Helps
• Stores in Muskegon County that Accept WIC
• Income Guidelines (Effective June 30, 2021)
• How To Calculate Your Income

WIC Locations in Muskegon County

Information for Medical Providers

What you need to know about medical documentation required to request WIC Special Formulas/Foods

• List of Authorized WIC Formulas (Effective 08/04/2022) 
• WIC Qualifying Medical Conditions

New Medical Documentation Form for physicians

• Instructions for Special Formula/Food Requests
• Form DCH-1326 Michigan WIC Special Formula/Food Request Form [Revised 09/2020]

Breastfeeding Support

During baby’s first year of life, there is no better food than breast milk. Both mother and baby receive many health, nutritional, economical, and emotional benefits from breastfeeding.

Benefits of Breastfeeding

For babies, breast milk:

• Is an ideal food
• Provides all needed nutrients for the first 6 months of life
• Helps reduce colic, spitting up, and diarrhea
• Protects against illnesses and allergies
• Provides babies with their mothers' immunity to disease
• May promote cognitive development

From mothers, breastfeeding:

• Enhances confidence and self-esteem
• Helps the uterus return to shape faster
• May reduce the risk of breast cancer
• May help weight loss occur more rapidly after pregnancy
• Provides breast milk that is always warm, ready to use, economical, and sanitary
• May delay the return of menstrual period

For the breastfeeding mom and baby, breastfeeding:

• Enhances mother-infant bonding
• Is environmentally friendly and saves energy
• Is easy and convenient, once established
• Works best when dad, family, friends, and the community offer support

Local Breastfeeding Resources

• WIC offers breastfeeding Peer Counselors, consultants, and lactation specialists. Please call WIC - Muskegon County at
  231-724-6877 to speak with a Peer Counselor or lactation specialist or 231-724-1391 to schedule an appointment.
• WIC breastfeeding classes (via Zoom): Mondays at 2:00 PM.
• WIC breastfeeding support group (via Zoom): Tuesdays at 2:00 PM.
• Mercy Health Birth Center Classes
• La Leche League of Michigan

Project FRESH

WIC Project FRESH is an educational program that provides WIC participants with coupons to purchase locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables, at participating farmers' markets. All 2021 coupons have been distributed. WIC clients that received the coupon booklets are encouraged to use them at the Muskegon Farmers Market (242 W. Western Ave, Muskegon, MI 49442).
Coupons expire October 31, 2021. 

For more information, call (231) 724-1391 or email WIC. 

This Institution is an equal opportunity provider. 1/2023

Nondiscrimination Statement (michigan.gov)