Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
WIC is a program that helps women and children with counseling, equipment, food and more. The Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) is the state agency that manages WIC in Arizona.
WIC offers services to help pregnant, recently pregnant, and new families with infants and young children.
Those services include:
- Nutrition education
- Breastfeeding support
- Nutrition experts who specialize in nutrition for mothers and their children
- Information on nutrition and weight gain during pregnancy
- Tips for feeding infants and children to create healthy habits for a lifetime
- Referrals to health care and other community resources
- Healthy foods
You are eligible for help through the WIC program for up to six months after the end of your pregnancy. If you are breastfeeding, you are eligible to receive food benefits until your baby turns one. You can receive continued breastfeeding support while you continue to breastfeed.
Who is eligible for WIC
Eligibility depends on your income level and if you have dietary, health, or certain medical conditions. You must fit into each of the four categories below to be eligible for WIC.
You can find out if you are eligible for WIC online on the DHS website or by calling 1-800-252-5942.
The following people are considered categorically (automatically) eligible for WIC:
- Women
- Pregnant (during and up to six weeks after pregnancy)
- Postpartum (up to six months after pregnancy)
- Breastfeeding (up to the infant’s first birthday)
- Infants (Up to the infant’s first birthday)
- Children (up to the child’s fifth birthday)
How to apply for WIC
When you are eligible, you can make an appointment at a clinic in the area where you live to apply. You can do the appointment from home – just let the clinic know that is what you want to do. You can find a local clinic on the DHS website.
If you or your children receive Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), you’re already income-eligible for WIC.
When you go to your WIC appointment, you must bring:
- Everyone who will enroll in the WIC Program
- Identification for adults (driver’s license, photo ID)
- Child’s identification (shot record, birth certificate, crib card or hospital ID)
- Proof of Income (30 days of recent pay stubs, AHCCCS letter, SNAP letter)
- Proof of Address (mail or bill, driver’s license, mortgage/rent receipt)
After you apply for WIC and go to your appointment, the Arizona Department of Health Services will send you a notice about your application.
What should I do if I am denied WIC benefits?
The Arizona Department of Health Services may send you a denial notice that tells you that you will not receive WIC benefits, or send you a notice that lowers your WIC benefits. If you disagree with a decision about your benefits, you usually have the right to ask someone to review the decision. This review is called an appeal.
If you currently receive WIC benefits and want to keep getting them during the appeal process, you must appeal within 15 days of the notice date.
Your benefits will continue until the hearing officer reaches a decision or the Certification period ends, whichever comes first.
You will not continue to get benefits if you are denied WIC benefits at initial Certification, your Certification period has expired, or you became categorically ineligible.
How to appeal
To appeal, you must file a request for a fair hearing with the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Your request for a fair hearing must be in writing, by mail or hand-delivery, within 30 calendar days from the date of the notice.
Send the request by mail or in person to:
Clerk of the Department
Arizona Department of Health Services
150 North 18th Avenue, Suite 200 Phoenix, AZ 85007
You may represent yourself at the hearing. You can also get an attorney to represent you. You can reach out to legal services in the area where you live.
If you request a fair hearing, you may also request an informal settlement conference.
Your request must be in writing, by mail or hand delivery, at least 20 days before the hearing date.
You can deliver the request:
By Mail: WIC Director
150 North 18th Avenue, Suite 310 Phoenix, AZ 85007
In Person: WIC Director at your WIC local agency. That person will immediately send it to the State Bureau Chief.
Local WIC agency staff can help you complete your written request for a fair hearing and informal settlement conference.
This topic can be complicated. You may want to talk to a legal professional for help.
This website shares general legal information. Some content may be simplified or may not reflect recent changes in law. If you need advice for your specific situation, you should talk to a legal professional.
This content was last updated on Oct 1, 2025.