What a difference it makes! WIC participants are enthusiastic about the CA WIC Card. It makes shopping for WIC foods so much easier than it used to be, when WIC participants shopped with food checks.

WIC Cards for WIC parents WIC parents are individuals who have met the requirements for WIC and have chosen to enroll. In the past, WIC parents received free food vouchers they could use for nutritious food at the market. But departments of public health in many states, including the California State Department of Public Health, which oversees all WIC agencies throughout California, determined that reusable WIC cards would be preferable to food vouchers.

What can newly enrolled WIC parents expect?
• The card works like a debit card.
• Shopping at the market is much easier.
• Card holders buy as much or as little as they want at any one time.

WIC food package Each food package remained the same as it was in the past, until Covid-19. Because of problems caused by Covid-19, WIC has added more WIC food options.

Keeping track WIC parents are able to keep track of which foods they’ve already bought and which foods they haven’t.

There are two different ways to see this information. Card holders can choose:
• to look for this information on the CA WIC Card app.
• or to look at their market receipt.

Before Covid-19, card holders could also look at a printout at their WIC center.

Tips for new WIC Card users
• Download the WIC app.
• Watch the video on this website.
• Think of a pin. When participants use these 4 numbers, they will see the information that is theirs, not someone else’s.
• Save special phone numbers. These will help if you lose your WIC Card or forget your pin.
• Expect your first WIC appointment to take longer than most.

The WIC app Any WIC parents with a smart phone can visit their phone’s app store. They search for “California WIC,” then download the California WIC app. When parents receive their WIC card, they are able to log in and access the app’s special features.

WIC pin Parents are asked to choose a WIC pin that has 4 numbers. Their pin should be easy to remember, and difficult for other people to guess. Not 1234!

If parents lose their WIC card Parents can call WIC Card Support at 1-844-469-3264 if they lose their WIC card. WIC Card Support can help any time of the day or night.

If parents forget their pin Parents can call WIC Card Support at 1-844-469-3264 if they forget their pin. They can also call WIC at (310) 656-1990.

Learning to use the CA WIC Card You will learn how to use the CA WIC Card during your first WIC appointment.

Extra time at WIC appointment Your first WIC appointment may take longer than usual.