Allegheny County Wic Program

239 Fourth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA - 15222
(412) 350-5801
Fax Number: (412) 350-6184

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The Official WIC program is available to low to moderate income pregnant women, recently delivered women, breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk. Fathers can also bring their children to apply for WIC. You may apply for WIC if you are working or unemployed. Check the Income Guidelines Table to see if you are eligible for WIC. This website was created for women looking for WIC information and locations. We are also working towards adding other locations and services that may help out women.



Office Information: Allegheny County Wic Program is located in Investment Building, 6th Floor.
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.WIC serves income-eligible and medically or nutritionally at-risk pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, infants and children under age five.
WIC offers nutrition counseling and food vouchers redeemable at participating grocery stores for infant formula, milk, eggs, cheese, cereal, juices and other nutritious foods.



The WIC Program is a health and supplemental nutrition program for:
Pregnant women; breastfeeding women up to 12 months postpartumNon-breastfeeding women up to 6 months post-partumInfants and children up to 5 years of age who have a medical/nutritional risk and meet financial eligibility criteria
Funding is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
WIC is administered by the Department of Health at the State and the Allegheny County Health Department at the local level.



Program ServicesSupplemental Foods:
Foods available through WIC provide nutrients that are important in the diets of womenInfantsChildren at nutritional risk
These foods include:

milkEggsCheeseJuiceCerealPeanut butterDried beansThese foods contain key nutrients needed to promote healthy growth.
WIC is a supplemental food program and does not provide all the food a woman may need for herself and her children.
Since breast milk is the ideal food for infants, WIC encourages breastfeeding.
Additional foods, tuna fish and carrots, are provided to breastfeeding women who receive no formula from the WIC Program.
The average value of WIC foods provided to participants each month is $50.00.
For women who do not breastfeed, WIC provides iron-fortified formula (Similac Advance brand Infant Formula, Isomil Advance brand Soy Protein Formula and other approved Ross Laboratories infant formula products) for infants during the first year of life.
A wide variety of special formulas are provided to infants and children with special medical needs when prescribed by a physician.
Infants also receive infant juice and cereal by six months of age.
WIC foods are provided in the form of vouchers.
The types and amounts of food to be purchased each month are printed on a set of food vouchers.
The food vouchers are redeemed at a WIC-authorized retail grocery store selected by the participant. In Allegheny County, there are approximately 90 retail grocery stores that are authorized to redeem WIC vouchers.
Special nutritional formulas are provided through the WIC Formula Warehouse in Lancaster, PA.



Breastfeeding Promotion Program:
The Breastfeeding Promotion Program is designed to help increase the number of mothers who successfully breast-feed their infants. The Breastfeeding Help Line (412-247-1000) provides counseling daily, including weekends and holidays, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. to all breastfeeding women in Allegheny County. Board Certified Lactation Consultants also work with WIC pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to educate them on the benefits of breastfeeding and help them establish and continue breastfeeding. Breast pumps are provided to WIC breastfeeding mothers who are returning to school or work.
The Allegheny County Breastfeeding Promotion Steering Committee works to eliminate barriers and establish breastfeeding as the preferred infant feeding method.
The committee meets with other health professionals to foster support for breastfeeding.
Nutrition Education: Nutrition information is provided to all WIC participants to ensure that foods will be used properly to improve the dietary and health habits of the entire family.
Nutrition education is designed to change lifetime nutrition and health behaviors with realistic goals.
Each WIC office has at least one nutritionist on its staff that counsels participants on nutrition related concerns such as obesity and iron deficiency anemia.
Beyond offering nutrition education, the WIC Program is involved in addressing other areas of maternal and child health, such as educating participants about the dangers of drugs, alcohol and tobacco use. WIC screens immunization records of all children 24 months of age and younger.
Children needing immunizations are referred to their health care provider or the Health Department Immunization Clinic.
WIC promotes good dental health for children and refers them to the Health Department Dental Clinics.



Referrals:

WIC provides limited referrals to health and social services.


Participants not receiving medical services are encouraged to seek and maintain appropriate care.
Families whose children do not have health insurance are referred to childrens health insurance programs available in Pennsylvania.
WIC also offers participants the opportunity to register to vote as part of the Pennsylvania Motor Voter Initiative.


Mission Statement: Our mission is to protect, promote, and preserve the health and well-being of all Allegheny County residents, particularly the most vulnerable.