WIC in Missouri: who qualifies, what it provides, and how to sign up
In Missouri, a household of three with income up to $50,542 a year qualifies for WIC on income, and a household of four qualifies up to $61,050. WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services runs it through local WIC agencies.
Who WIC serves
Missouri WIC serves pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding, women who've recently given birth, infants, and children up to age five. Fathers, grandparents, guardians and foster parents can apply for the children living in their household, so the adult who applies doesn't have to be the child's mother.
What it provides
WIC provides iron-fortified infant formula for babies who aren't fully breastfed. It also covers a set list of foods, including milk, eggs, cheese, cereal, juice, peanut butter, beans, bread, rice, pasta, and fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. Along with the food, WIC offers nutrition education and breastfeeding support.
Who qualifies on income
Missouri sets its WIC income limit at 185% of the federal poverty level. The federal poverty level is a yearly income figure the federal government sets for each household size. These are the Missouri limits that took effect June 1, 2026:
| Household size | Yearly income | Monthly income |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $29,526 | $2,461 |
| 2 | $40,034 | $3,337 |
| 3 | $50,542 | $4,212 |
| 4 | $61,050 | $5,088 |
| 5 | $71,558 | $5,964 |
| 6 | $82,066 | $6,839 |
Each additional person adds $10,508 a year, or $876 a month.
Two rules change how the table applies to you:
- A pregnancy counts as an extra person. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's WIC rules let a household add one person for each expected baby, so a pregnant woman living alone is counted as a household of two.
- Some programs make you income-eligible automatically. If you're on SNAP (food stamps), Temporary Assistance, or a qualifying MO HealthNet plan, Missouri treats you as meeting the income rule automatically. A foster child under five is automatically eligible too.
The USDA also lists who counts in a household: all the people you live with and share income and expenses with, including children, people you aren't related to, students away at college, and military members on active duty.
The first appointment
Before you're enrolled, WIC staff do a simple, free health check with each person applying. The USDA says WIC uses it to fit the benefits and services to you.
Three ways to apply
- Fill out the online interest form on the Missouri WIC page, and a WIC local agency will contact you.
- Call a WIC local agency directly. The Missouri WIC page has a map of the local agencies.
- Call TEL-LINK at 1-800-835-5465 (1-800-TEL-LINK).
The state WIC office is also reachable at 800-392-8209 or WICinfo@health.mo.gov.
Your next step
Nexus Point Family Foundation built a pregnancy and new parent support page that links to its county map of health, food, housing and child care programs, so you can see the programs in your county while you're expecting and after.
Sources
- Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Women, Infants & Children (WIC): https://health.mo.gov/families/women-infants-children-wic (reached from https://health.mo.gov/living/families/wic/). Supports who WIC serves, fathers, grandparents, guardians and foster parents applying, iron-fortified formula, the food list, nutrition education and breastfeeding support, automatic eligibility through SNAP, Temporary Assistance and MO HealthNet, the three ways to apply, TEL-LINK, and the state office phone and email.
- Missouri DHSS, Missouri WIC Income Guidelines: https://health.mo.gov/families/women-infants-children-wic/missouri-wic-income-guidelines. Supports 185% of poverty, the June 1, 2026 effective date, the income table and the per-person addition, automatic eligibility, and foster children under five.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, WIC Eligibility: https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/eligibility. Supports adding one household member per expected birth, the household definition, and the free health check by WIC staff before enrollment.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ASPE, Poverty Guidelines: https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines. Supports the plain explanation of the federal poverty level.
- Nexus Point Family Foundation, Pregnancy and New Parent Support: https://nexuspointfamily.org/pregnancy-support. Supports the link to the county map of health, food, housing and child care programs.