WYOMING — The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) announced on Friday, Sept. 27 that new benefit cards and a recently modernized system will better assist the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Program in supporting families.
The Wyoming WIC Program offers benefits to low-income women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or had a recent miscarriage, and families with children under the age of five.
WIC Program Manager Tina Fearneyhough said that the updated technology will allow participants to more easily and quickly monitor their benefit balances. The WICShopper app can be downloaded for either Android or iPhone devices.
“Our newly modernized system will allow easier troubleshooting,” Fearneyhough said in the announcement. “It’s all about making it easier for our families to receive the nutritious foods we know are so important to their health and development.”
Fearneyhough said that participants should have already received new electronic benefit cards to receive nutritious foods at no cost. The new ones started working on Tuesday, Oct. 1, and the old ones will not function after September 30. Eligible participants can use the cards at WIC approved stores. Locally, Albertsons and Smiths accept the cards. The full list of participating stores can be found here. Currently, 75 stores across the state accept WIC cards with 49 of those authorized for self-checkout lanes, according to the WDH.
“We’re excited our participants no longer have to tell cashiers they are using their WIC cards for a transaction,” Fearneyhough said. “They just have to swipe their cards. The new system knows to use WIC benefits as payment first for eligible items. For non-WIC items in the same transaction, another form of payment can be used.”
Participants are to call the number on the back of their card to set up their PIN, or refer to the information sheet distributed along with the new cards.
Eligible families with incomes up to 185 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines or those already using SNAP, TANF or Wyoming Medicaid benefits qualify for WIC. According to the WDH, more than 7,500 individuals currently receive WIC benefits. Wyoming residents can apply for WIC benefits here. Moms and other caregivers of young children are welcome to apply, including dads, foster parents, guardians, grandparents and step-parents.
WIC clinics are located throughout the state and can be found by using the Clinic Locator online or by calling 1-888-996-9378.
