Increase to Louisiana WIC Benefits Extended Through December 2021

Published October 12, 2021

From the Louisiana Department of Health – Families and pregnant individuals participating in Louisiana’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will continue to receive extra help with purchasing fruits and vegetables through a Continuing Resolution of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act.

Through December 2021, women and children will continue to receive an increase to their cash value benefit (CVB), which is the amount of money provided each month for the purchase of fresh, frozen, and/or canned fruits and vegetables. Under the Continuing Resolution, CVB are $24 for children, $43 for pregnant and postpartum persons, and $47 for breastfeeding persons.

This comes after a 388% increase from July 2021 to September 2021 for children (from $9 per month to $35 per month) and a 318% increase for women (from $11 per month to $35 per month) through the American Rescue Act, which was passed in July 2021.

Currently, about 89,000 individuals receive WIC benefits each month in Louisiana. Louisiana WIC is available to income-eligible pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum persons, and infants and children up to 5 years of age. If currently enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Pandemic EBT, and/or Louisiana Medicaid, these families automatically meet the income requirements for WIC. These families can also enroll and receive WIC supplemental benefits.

If a family is not currently enrolled in WIC but meets the eligibility requirements, they can enroll in the program by visiting a local WIC clinic or filling out a pre-application at https://louisianawic.org/about/apply-online. A list of clinics can be found on the Louisiana WIC website or by calling 1-800-251-BABY(2229).