Fathers of children under age five are encouraged to enroll their children in the WIC program. Just like any other parent or guardian, fathers can bring their children to appointments, attend nutrition education classes, and redeem food vouchers for their children. Active participation by fathers is a great help in keeping WIC children healthy.
Yes. WIC services are free to those who are eligible for the program. For WIC income guidelines Click Here.
You can apply on behalf of your foster child if he or she is under five years of age. Income is based on the amount of income you receive for the foster child. He or she counts as a family of one in those cases where the Welfare agency is legally responsible for the child. You must furnish a copy of the Foster Agreement at the time of enrollment and subsequent recertification.
In most cases, if you are a teen, you must count all of the income of your household when determining if you are eligible for WIC. Please call your local WIC office at (916) 326-5830 to find out if you are income eligible. For WIC Income Guidelines Click Here.
If you are a grandparent who has custody of grandchildren under age 5, you may apply on their behalf. If you do not have custody, you may accompany your grandchildren and their parent to the WIC appointment and you may become an alternate. An alternate is a person who acts on behalf of the WIC parent/caretaker to come to WIC to pick up vouchers and/or to go to the food store to redeem them.
Most people come to the WIC center either once each month, once each two months or one time each three months. This depends on both your needs and your WIC center schedule.
Food vouchers are issued for each eligible participant. A family with more than one family member participating in WIC will have more than one set of food vouchers. Both fathers and mothers can receive and spend the vouchers for their children. These vouchers are taken to a participating WIC grocery store and are made out for specific WIC foods. Some of the foods provided by the California WIC Program include milk, eggs, cheese, cereal, peanut butter, beans, and juice. Food vouchers can be used on the “first day to use” through the “last day to use” date.
Once certified:
Pregnant women can stay on WIC until 6 weeks postpartum; at which time their nutrition and health needs and household income are reviewed to see if she still meets WIC guidelines.
Breast-feeding mothers can stay on WIC until their baby’s first birthday. A breastfeeding mother’s nutrition and health needs and household income are reviewed 6 months from enrollment to see if she still meets WIC guidelines.
Mothers who are not breastfeeding may be eligible for WIC until their babies are 6 months old.
Infants and children can stay on WIC until they turn 5 years old. Their nutrition and health needs and household income are reviewed every 12 months to see if he/she still meets WIC guidelines.
WIC has a contract to provide certain approved formulas, which saves a lot of money. The formula company gives us larger rebates on these formulas. This rebate money makes it possible for many more infants to be on the California WIC Program. Non-contract formulas like Carnation and Similac cost the California WIC Program five to six times more than our contract formulas. It is important to note that infant formulas are carefully formulated to be safe and nutritionally appropriate for infants no matter what the brand.
WIC is a supplemental nutrition program, and the amount of formula and other WIC foods you get each month is limited. You will need to buy additional formula. If this is a problem, tell the WIC staff. They may be able to refer you to a Food Closet or other source for more formula. If you baby is on a special formula, MediCal may be able to pay for it.
Yes, WIC supports breastfeeding. In fact, breastfeeding women can stay on the program for six months longer than a non-breastfeeding woman and they receive additional milk, juice, beans, carrots, and canned tuna.
Yes, WIC offices have a limited number of manual and electric pumps available for loan. Talk with your WIC staff about your breastfeeding concerns. The number of available pumps is limited and they must be distributed to the highest risk infants first.
Yes. WIC can issue vouchers for your baby to get some formula, and you can still get vouchers for WIC foods. You will not be eligible to receive the additional carrots and canned tuna that exclusively breastfeeding women do.
You may be eligible for a credit ranging from $184 to $306 on your utility bill. The dollar amount is determined by your income and the number of people in your home.
You must be a resident of Sacramento, Sutter, or Yuba County to qualify for CRP's HEAP Program. Your household must also meet certain income guidelines. Based on our agency plan, CRP also takes into consideration the percentage of your household's total income spent on utility bills, as well as key demographic qualities of the household.
Income guidelines for the HEAP Program for the 2022 calendar year are as follows:
A family may apply every 12 months.
It takes about 2 to 3 months for the credit to appear on your utility bill. Therefore, in the meantime, you must continue to make payments on your utility bill.
You can apply online here. You can call 916-567-5200 if you have a hardship that prevents you from applying online.
Yes. As long as you live in housing permanent enough to receive a utility bill in your name, you may apply for the HEAP Program.
Yes. You will need a letter from your property owner or manager stating the amount of your monthly utility bill. Make sure the letter also contains the contact information of the owner/manager, including their phone number and address.
You must reside in your home at least long enough to receive a full 30 day cycle bill from your utility company.
You must provide the following on the day of your appointment:
HEAP can only issue a credit to one utility bill. If you receive services from both utility companies, you may decide which bill you most need help with.
Weatherization describes the services and energy conservation measures applied to a dwelling to help reduce energy use. Proper weatherization results in a more comfortable home (especially during the hottest and coldest times of the year) and decreased utility bills. Weatherization services include measures such as attic insulation, caulking, water heater blanket, heating/cooling system repair, and other conservation measures.
First, our Outreach Specialists perform a thorough home energy assessment to identify house-specific deficiencies and opportunities for energy conservation.
This assessment can take two to four hours.
The assessment includes:
Energy education for the occupants is a complementary element of a comprehensive weatherization program. This energy education instructs participants in the proper operation and maintenance of new or existing energy systems so that the full potential of these systems is realized. Topics frequently covered in energy education include filter changing, thermostat operation, strategies to reduce cooling load such as closing window shares, and use of the ventilation systems.
The three main benefits to having your home weatherized:
Please call 916-567-5220 and request to be put on our waiting list.
CRP determines eligibility by using Program Income Guidelines. This is achieved by calculating your household’s income, energy bill, and family size. Please click here to learn more about applying.
After your home is assessed, all paperwork must be processed and approved. Once paperwork is approved and materials are ordered for your home, we are ready to begin work. This process can take anywhere from 1 to 4 months.
If you are unable to be present at your home during the installation, you may leave any friend or relative 18 years or older present in your home. Please inform the CRP scheduler when confirming your appointment if someone else will be at your home in your place.