The South Dakota Department of Health recently released its new income guidelines for the WIC Program. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, WIC is a supplemental nutrition program provided at no cost to eligible moms, babies and children. Its goal is to help improve health by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, offering education on healthy eating, nutrition and breastfeeding, and making referrals to other services.

If family income does not exceed the following amounts for the size of your family, you could qualify for WIC (See chart below).

To find out if you or your children are eligible for the WIC Program, call for an appointment at your local WIC office. For contact numbers, go to http://doh.sd.gov/ LocalOffices/CHS.aspx.

Applicants will need to provide family income information, proof of residency and identity, provide information about foods eaten, answer questions about past and current health, have height and weight taken, have a finger stick blood test taken (except a baby up to 9 months of age), and visit with a health professional about nutrition education and health needs. If eligible, you will get food "checks" to buy foods at authorized grocery stores.

Family size 185 percent of federal poverty level

1 $19,240

2 $25,900

3 $32,560

4 $39.220

5 $45,880

6 $52,540

7 $59,200

8 $65,860

9 $75,520

10 $79,180