What is the WIC Program?

Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada provides a variety of food and nutrition services to the community. From our Hands of Hope Community Food Pantry to our Meals on Wheels program, we are making sure that individuals and families in need in Southern Nevada are not without a proper meal. 

One of the nutrition programs that we would like to highlight is our WIC Program. WIC stands for Women, Infants, and Children and the program provides not only nutritional education to pregnant women in need, but also provides food and referrals to health and public agencies. We are happy to provide such a program to our community, and we will go over the opportunities that families or pregnant women have in case they need assistance with providing their families with proper nutrition.

How to Qualify for the WIC Program

WIC is a federal program that is administered all across the United States, so in order to qualify with Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, one of the main qualifications is you must be a Nevada resident. If you have recently moved to Nevada, be aware that moving from one area or state to another place WIC participants at the top of a waiting list, and they are also served first when the agency can accommodate more participants. 

The WIC program is mainly for pregnant women, and postpartum mothers after 6 months or 1 year of breastfeeding, but is also eligible for families or individuals with an infant up to 12 months old, or a child ages 1 to 5 years of age. Catholic Charities WIC Program is here to assist people who are pregnant and individuals with children up to 5 years old. It can be difficult and stressful for new mothers or any mother in general who may be unsure of how they will be able to provide proper nutrition and meals to their children, but the WIC program is here to help alleviate that stress. 

Another qualifying factor that is required to join the WIC Program is that you or your family have moderately low income or receive TANF, Medicaid, or Food Stamps. As well as complete a nutritional assessment completed at the first WIC clinic visit.

What Do I Need to Bring to Register For the WIC Program?

When you are visiting one of our offices to register, we ask that you bring proof of income for the last 30 days or notice of eligibility for Medicaid, Food Stamps, or TANF with current dates, food Stamp program activity report, or written verification from a case worker, and proof of residence in the state of Nevada. We also ask that you bring your children under the age of five along with either immunization records, hospital birth records, birth certificate, or Medicaid card. One of these documents will do and helps us identify your child. Please call or visit your local WIC office if you are unable to locate one of these documents. 

Catholic Charites of Southern Nevada has two WIC Offices, one is located in Henderson and the other is located at Owen’s Ave. Both offices are here to assist you and provide you with help in the application process in any way we can. 

What Services Can the WIC Program Provide?

One of the main services of the WIC program is to provide nutritional food to pregnant women or families with infants or children up to the age of five. The food items provided often include milk, cheese, breakfast cereal, eggs, whole wheat bread, brown rice, peanut butter, and canned fish and legumes. This mainly consists of foods that have plenty of proteins calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C, to provide a nutritious and healthy meal. 

Another popular service is nutrition education and counseling, this can help mothers or families understand what is important to eat in order for a child to get the proper nutrition they need as they continue to grow. We also provide breastfeeding education and support to new mothers who may be unsure of how to breastfeed, the benefits of breastfeeding, and other important information they might need to know to provide the best care for their babies. 

The WIC Program can also help with getting referrals to health and public agencies, this can help get people the extra help they may need to be able to properly take care of their families. 

Since this is a federally funded program, we are unable to accept donations from individuals, however, people within the WIC Program are still welcome to other services that we provide at Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada. 

Catholic Charities operates 16 programs providing support to more than 4,000 people daily and encompassing four core areas: Family Services, Food Services, Immigration, and Refugee Services, and Homeless and Housing Services. Furthermore, Catholic Charities offers emergency shelter services in Southern Nevada, as well as the largest Meals on Wheels program in the area. These programs all exist in order to provide shelter, meals, education, and other opportunities to those who may not have access to certain privileges as other individuals. Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada began in 1941 and continues to be one of the largest private nonprofit social service providers in the state. Catholic Charities mission is designed to help vulnerable people from infants to seniors gain self-sufficiency with dignity and compassion, regardless of religion.

The WIC Program has helped hundreds of individuals and families that may be struggling with providing the proper nutrition and meals to their children. We want people to feel confident knowing that the WIC Program can help them provide food for their children. Catholic Charities is also here to help them with our variety of services and programs to make sure these infants and children have the same opportunities to grow and thrive in this world. 

If you have any questions or concerns with your eligibility for the WIC program, or just want to know more information, then please feel free to give us a call at 702-366-2069 for the Owens location or 702-558-3129 for the Henderson location or visit our website. 

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