MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — The South Dakota Department of Health is reminding residents that eligibility requirements for the Women, Infants, and Children program will change on Wednesday, July 1.
WIC is a federal program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by each state. It provides women and young children nutritious meals, along with resources that help make it easier for young moms to breastfeed infants, which is important for development in their child’s early years.
WIC eligibility is tied to the federal poverty level. A family has to earn less than 185% of that threshold to be accepted. As inflation makes goods and services more expensive each year, the poverty level is bumped up to account for the fact that a dollar doesn’t go as far as it used to.
For the upcoming fiscal year, a person making under $29,526 qualifies. For a couple, it is $40,034. For a traditional family of four, the level is $61,050. The full table is below.
Family Size 185% of Federal Poverty Level
1 $29,526
2 $40,034
3 $50,542
4 $61,050
5 $71,558
6 $82,066
7 $92,574
8 $103,082
9 $113,590
10 $124,098