Oregon WIC Benefits for Grandparents Raising a Grandchild

WIC Covers Children Under Five — Regardless of Custody

If you're raising an infant or young child under five, Oregon's Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program provides supplemental foods, nutrition education, and health referrals at no cost. You don't need legal custody to apply — a relative caregiver or legal guardian can apply on behalf of an eligible child.

Who Qualifies

WIC eligibility has two components:

Age: The child must be under five years old, from birth until before the fifth birthday.

Income: Household income must be at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. But here's the shortcut most kinship caregivers miss — if the child is already enrolled in OHP (Medicaid), SNAP, or TANF, they are categorically income-eligible for WIC. No separate income verification needed. The child's enrollment in any of those programs automatically satisfies WIC's income requirement.

Since most children in kinship care qualify for OHP and TANF child-only grants, the income test is usually a formality.

What WIC Provides

WIC benefits come in two forms:

Supplemental foods. Monthly WIC benefits load onto an eWIC card (similar to an EBT card) for specific nutritious foods:

• Infant formula, baby food, and infant cereal
• Milk, cheese, yogurt, and eggs
• Whole grains (bread, cereal, brown rice, tortillas)
• Fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, or canned)
• Peanut butter, beans, and canned fish
• Juice (100% fruit or vegetable)

The food package adjusts based on the child's age and nutritional needs. Infants who are breastfed or partially breastfed receive different food packages than fully formula-fed infants.

Nutrition education and referrals. WIC appointments include nutrition counseling, growth monitoring, and referrals to health services. For kinship caregivers who took in an infant or toddler suddenly, these check-ins can catch developmental or nutritional concerns early.

How to Apply

WIC is administered through local WIC clinics — not through the ODHS ONE portal. Find your nearest Oregon WIC clinic using the OHA clinic finder or call 211.

At your appointment, bring:

• Proof of identity for the child (birth certificate or medical records)
• Proof of Oregon residency (utility bill, lease, or mail at your address)
• Income documentation — or proof the child receives OHP, SNAP, or TANF (which satisfies income eligibility automatically)
• Documentation of your caregiving arrangement (Relative Caregiver Affidavit, court order, or written statement)

WIC can issue up to three months of food benefits at a time, and participants are offered nutrition education every three months. Your clinic sets appointments based on your certification period and health needs.

WIC and Your Other Benefits

WIC benefits don't count as income for SNAP, TANF, or any other federal program. Receiving WIC cannot reduce your other benefits. The programs are designed to stack — a kinship household with a child under five can receive TANF cash, SNAP food assistance, OHP health coverage, ERDC childcare, and WIC simultaneously.

WIC foods supplement what SNAP covers. SNAP provides general grocery purchasing power; WIC targets specific nutritious items that may not stretch from your SNAP allotment, especially infant formula and fresh produce.

When WIC Ends

WIC eligibility ends when the child turns five. After that, check whether the child qualifies for school nutrition benefits: children receiving Child-Only TANF or SNAP are directly certified for free school meals, and students at schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision receive free meals.

The Oregon Kinship Financial Help guide covers WIC alongside every other benefit program available to kinship families in Oregon, including how to coordinate WIC appointments with your ODHS benefits schedule.

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