Families - Home
Rights and Responsibilities of a WIC Participant
Rights and Responsibilities (English) 
Rights and Responsibilities (Spanish)
Tools and Resources for Families
Looking for meal ideas and recipes? Check these out:
MyPlate Kitchen
Cultural Cuisine - recipes from around the world
Healthy, Thrifty Holiday Menus
SNAP Recipes - short list of ingredients and easy to make
Spend Smart. Eat Smart.
Need help creating an account? Check out this video to help walk you through the process.
Text4baby is a service for pregnant women and moms with infants under age one. There is no cost to sign up for this texting service from the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. Even if you do not have a text messaging plan, you can receive these messages for free.
You can now use Text4Baby to set up a text reminder for your next WIC appointment using these simple steps:
1. If you are already a text4baby participant, text the word “WIC” to 511411.
2. To set up the appointment reminder text the word “REMIND” (or “CITA” for Spanish) to 511411.
3. When prompted, enter the appointment date (e.g., 10/02/20) and a short description of the appointment (examples: “with WIC at Front St. office/bring proof of address/get lab results”).
4. You will receive the following automated text message: “Your reminder is set for your appointment on 10/02/20. We will send you a reminder three days before.”
WIC Fathers: The State of Iowa WIC program welcomes fathers and stepfathers to take active roles when participating in the WIC program. WIC knows the importance of your roles in your partner's and children’s lives and encourages you to attend your child's or partner's appointments. Here are some resources to help you in adjusting to the roles of fatherhood.
1. Fatherville is an online resource for fathers, by fathers, and about fathers. Fatherville provides articles, essays, resources, and encourages the exchange of stories and ideas among fathers.
2. The National Center for Fathering contains information meant to inspire and equip fathers and father figures to be actively engaged in the life of every child. Visit their website for more information, articles, program, and education options.
3. 24 Hour Crib-Side is a collection of videos that make up the 'New Dad Manual'. Visit their website for videos on car seat installation, diapering, baths, and more!
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the WIC program offer?
- WIC provides you with health services. These services include nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, eWIC cards to buy nutritious foods, immunization screening and referrals, and health and social services referrals.
- WIC nurses and dietitians meet with you to assess your diet and health history, provide nutrition counseling, and determine what foods are right for you and where you should shop.
- Infants - Breastfeeding is very important for growing babies. If a mom is not able to breastfeed then iron-fortified formula is provided for the baby. When your baby is old enough, baby foods and plain cereal will be available.
- Children 1-5 years old – These children can receive foods such as milk, yogurt, juice, cereal, eggs, peanut butter or dried/canned beans, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables.
- Breastfeeding moms - Moms who feed their babies by breastfeeding can receive foods such as milk, cheese, juice cereal, eggs, peanut butter and/or dried/canned beans, tuna or salmon (if exclusively breastfeeding) whole grains, and fruits and vegetables.
- WIC promotes and supports breastfeeding.
Who decides what foods are given with WIC?
The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) makes the decision as to what food packages WIC participants get to have based on vitamin and nutrient recommendations.
What is the Farmer's Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)?
Congress established this program to provide fresh, unprepared, locally grown fruits and vegetables to eligible WIC participants. Contact your local WIC agency for more information.
What produce I can buy with WIC, SNAP and Farmers Market Nutrition Program Benefits?
The programs are administered by different state agencies with different guidelines determining what produce is eligible. To simplify the shopping experience, the three agencies administering the programs have worked together to create the “Produce Quick Reference Guide”. The guide is specific to fresh produce. The eWIC cards can not be used at Farmers Markets. Only the Farmer's Market Nutrition Program checks can be used at the Farmer's Market. If you have questions related to other program guidelines, please refer to the agency identified on the chart as “Administered by”.