Delaware WIC for Grandparent Caregivers Raising Young Children

Feeding a Toddler on a Fixed Income

If you are a grandparent or relative caregiver raising a child under five, WIC (the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) can help cover formula, milk, cereal, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and other staple foods. The program also provides nutrition counseling and referrals to healthcare and social services.

WIC is separate from SNAP. You can receive both at the same time, and SNAP participation can satisfy WIC's income test.

Who Qualifies

WIC serves infants and children up to their fifth birthday. The child — not the caregiver — is the beneficiary. To apply on behalf of a child, you generally need to be the parent, step-parent, guardian, or foster parent. If you have legal guardianship or have been approved as a kinship foster parent through Delaware's Division of Family Services, your standing to apply is clear.

Delaware lists parents, step-parents, guardians, and foster parents as people who may apply for a child. If you are an informal caregiver who does not fit one of these categories, call a WIC clinic to ask whether you can apply on the child's behalf.

Income Eligibility

WIC uses family income to determine eligibility, with the threshold set at 185% of the Federal Poverty Level. Some applicants are automatically income-eligible through participation in other programs, but WIC eligibility still requires Delaware residency and nutritional risk.

Categorical income eligibility: Federal WIC rules treat an applicant as income-eligible if the applicant is certified for SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid, or is a qualifying member of a family receiving TANF or Medicaid. Delaware also lists General Assistance and child care assistance as programs that can establish automatic income eligibility. The applicant must still meet WIC's other eligibility requirements.

Since most kinship-care children qualify for Medicaid through child-only MAGI rules (no asset test; in 2026, Medicaid income limits are 212% FPL for infants under 1, 142% for ages 1–5, and 133% for ages 6–18; Delaware Healthy Children Program coverage reaches 212% FPL), bringing the child's Medicaid card or approval letter to the WIC appointment is often the fastest path.

If the child is not income-eligible through one of those programs, WIC evaluates gross income for the family members counted in its household size. Delaware's WIC guidance says to count household members whether related or not.

What WIC Provides

WIC benefits come as monthly food packages loaded onto an eWIC card. The specific items depend on the child's age:

• Infants (0-12 months): formula based on feeding method; infant cereal and baby foods are available starting at 6 months
• Children (1-4 years): milk, cheese, eggs, cereal, juice, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, peanut butter or beans

The monthly value of WIC benefits varies, but for a child aged 1-4, the food package covers a meaningful share of basic nutrition needs. WIC items are redeemed at participating grocery stores and pharmacies in Delaware.

How to Apply

Delaware WIC is administered through the Division of Public Health. You can apply at any WIC clinic location — there are offices in Wilmington, Newark, Claymont, Dover, Milford, Georgetown, and other locations across all three counties.

What to bring to your WIC appointment:

• Proof of identity for the child (birth certificate or hospital records)
• Proof of Delaware residency (utility bill, lease, mail showing your address)
• Income verification or proof of Medicaid/TANF/SNAP enrollment for the child
• Proof of your relationship to the child — this can be a birth certificate chain, guardianship order, DFS placement letter, or caregiver affidavit

WIC appointments are scheduled in advance. Call the Delaware WIC program to find your nearest clinic and set up an initial visit. At certification, height and weight are measured. For applicants with no other nutrition-risk factor, a blood test for anemia must also be performed or documented at certification; for applicants with another qualifying risk factor, it may be obtained from a referral source or deferred for up to 90 days. Infants under 9 months follow separate testing rules.

WIC and Other Benefits Work Together

WIC does not reduce your TANF or SNAP benefits. The food assistance is supplemental — it adds to what you already receive. Federal law excludes WIC benefits from income and resource calculations for public assistance programs.

For children already receiving SNAP, WIC adds age-specific supplemental food packages, nutrition education, and health referrals tailored to young children.

Do Not Wait Until the Child Turns Five

WIC eligibility ends when the child turns five. If a two-year-old grandchild moves into your care, you may have up to three years of WIC benefits available — but only if you apply. Many kinship caregivers focus on TANF and Medicaid first and discover WIC months later, missing out on food assistance they could have received after WIC certified the child.

For a complete picture of every Delaware benefit available to kinship caregivers — TANF, Medicaid, SNAP, childcare subsidies, and more — the Delaware Kinship Financial Help Guide walks through each program's application process, required documents, and agency contacts.

See more Delaware guides →