• Be a Healthy Mom! – English | Spanish
• Feeding Is Parenting: Parent-Child Feeding Tasks – English | Spanish
• Food Guide for Women – English and Spanish
• Healthy Foods for Mental Health – English | Spanish
• MyPlate for Gestational Diabetes – English | Spanish
• Referrals: How Can We Support You? – English | Spanish
• Tips for Picky Eaters – English | Spanish 
• Tips to Reduce Sodium – English | Spanish
• Ways to Help a Child Who is Underweight – English | Spanish
• WIC Health Promotional Flyer – English | Spanish
• The Power of Buying Local Produce – English | Spanish
• Research Articles Supporting the Benefits of Buying Local – English
• Ventura County WIC Authorized Farmers Market – English | Spanish
• How to Use FMNP Checks – English
• New 10 Cent Deposit Fee on Bottled Juices
• Nueva tarifa de depósito de 10 centavos para los jugos embotellados

Nutrition Education

Group education sessions are offered on topics requested by participants and/or health and nutrition concerns common to the target population. Our goal of preventing and improving nutrition related medical problems isaddressed in the group and then, more specifically, in the individual sessions. Topics offered includes: benefits of breastfeeding, infant feeding during the first 4-6 months, infant feeding during 6-12 months, toddler feeding questions, preventing anemia, obesity, tooth decay, child safety, food safety, getting the most nutrition for your money and others. The lasting effects of nutrition education help families years after their program participation ends.

Individual Counseling

Each WIC location has a full time Registered Dietitian who supervises and assures accuracy of the nutrition information disseminated by the trained nutrition paraprofessional staff at each WIC Center. Individuals who have medical conditions that impact their nutritional status are counseled by the dietitian. Some of the conditions include: gestational diabetes, inadequate weight gain during the last half of pregnancy, low birthweight infants, inadequate growth patterns during infancy and early childhood, obesity, anemias and others. Low risk clients are counseled by our trained paraprofessional who has passed WIC competency-based testing. The food prescription is made for each individual based on nutritional needs identified in the assessment. Each participant brings medical information from their physician or clinic to WIC every 6 months. This information is used to assess nutritional need, identify medical/nutritional risk factors and determines information appropriate for counseling.

Breastfeeding Support

The WIC Program is committed to helping women understand the benefits to both mother and infant of breastfeeding their baby. Breastmilk is uniquely designed for each infant’s individual need and bestows unique health benefits that artificial baby milk (formulas) can’t supply. If after researching breastfeeding information on our linked sites you have a question for our Breastfeeding Coordinator or Trained Lactation Counselors, please call our tollfree number 1-800-781-4449 then press 3.

Supplemental Foods

The foods provided by WIC are those supplying nutrients commonly inadequate in the diets of lower income people surveyed in the United States. WIC foods are inexpensive for the amount of nutrients they provide, are widely available throughout the state and are packaged in a way that monthly allotments can be readily obtained by participants. The nutrients of concern are protein, calories, calcium, iron, vitamins A and C. As a supplemental program WIC does not provide all the foods and nutrition to cover nutritional needs of the participants. Through nutrition education and counseling, participants learn which other foods they need to add to improve their diets and meet their nutritional needs. The food prescription is based on individual needs, therefore the foods and the nutrients supplied vary depending on category, age and medical condition. 

Concerns About Infant Formula

The California Department of Public Health/Women, Infants and Children Division (CDPH/WIC) has received multiple inquiries from local agency staff and WIC participants about the Consumer Reports article, dated March 18, 2025 discussing lead and arsenic in infant formulas.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not determined that any infant formulas currently available in the U.S. are unsafe or require market removal. More information on infant formula regulation and safety in the following website:  Infant Formula | FDA.

CDPH/WIC encourages WIC families to discuss concerns about infant formula with their pediatricians in addition to the following:

• Breastfeed, if possible, to reduce exposure. If parents or caregivers want to increase breastfeeding, contact WIC for support.
• Do not make your own baby formula or offer alternative beverages in place of breastmilk or formula.
• Offer a variety of foods, including varying infant cereals like oatmeal or multigrain.
• Offer a variety of fruits and vegetables, including waiting until 12 months to introduce fruit juice and offering different types of juice.
• Check your tap or well water for heavy metals. Reach out to your local health department for more information.
• Keep the test results from the article mentioned above in perspective. Environmental pollutants are found throughout our food supply and not limited to baby food and formula.

The following resources may be helpful to parents using infant formula:

• Infant Formula Preparation and Storage | WIC Works Resource System
• Metals in Baby Food | WIC Works Resource System
• Environmental Contaminants in Food | FDA

WIC Staff Forms

• 2025 Contract and Therapeutic Formulas – English 
• California WIC Program Self Declaration Statement – English and Spanish 
• Know Your Rights and Responsibilities – English | Spanish
• Notice of Action During WIC Certification Period – English and Spanish 
• Notice of Action at Initial Certification and Recertification – English and Spanish 
• Notice of WIC Certification Expiration – English and Spanish
• Parent Guide: Medi-Cal Coverage of Therapeutic Formula – English | Spanish
• Parent Guide: Private or Military Insurance Coverage of Therapeutic Formula – English | Spanish

Testimonials