The Department of Defense (DoD) offers the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Overseas nutrition program to eligible participants overseas. WIC Overseas is a program that provides you and your family with several important benefits: nutritious food that will contribute to a healthier diet; tips on how to prepare a balanced meal; nutrition and health screening; and access to other resources that will help you and your family leas healthier lives.

Members of the Armed Forces, civilian employees, and DoD contractors living overseas and their family members may be eligible to participate in the WIC Overseas program.

Program Benefits

The program provides benefits to women during pregnancy and after the birth of their child. Benefits may be provided to the mother until the infant is six months old or for mothers who are breastfeeding until the child's first birthday.

WIC Overseas also provides nutritional benefits for children, helping them achieve a wholesome, well-balanced diet. Eligible children may participate up to age five.

Income and family size, as well as certain other criteria, are considered when determining eligibility. You may also be eligible if you have participated in the stateside WIC program.

How It Works

The WIC Overseas program is designed to supplement the food you regularly buy with additional nutritional food items. Once you are a program participant, your nutrition counselor will customize your food package to fit your family's needs and lifestyle. Program staff will provide ideas for meal planning, food preparation, and recipes that are nutritious, delicious, and easy to prepare. Your counselor will give you an approved food list and redeemable food coupons called "drafts," which you exchange for specific foods and quantities in commissaries and NEXMARTs overseas.

The following food items are generally available through the WIC Overseas program:

• Iron-fortified infant formula and infant cereal
  
• Iron-fortified adult cereal
  
• Vitamin C-rich fruit and/or vegetable juice
  
• Eggs
  
• Milk
  
• Cheese
  
• Peanut butter
  
• Dried beans or peas
  
• Canned tunaVitamin A-rich vegetables

In addition to nutritious food and meal planning, WIC Overseas provides nutritional screening and testing for your children. These screenings may identify medical conditions early so that you can seek proper medical advice for your child.

Contact your local WIC Overseas office to see if you and your children are eligible for WIC Overseas nutritional benefits. A WIC Overseas counselor will help you determine if you can join the program and, if so, will help you get started.

Eligibility for WIC Overseas

Members of the Armed Forces, civilian employees, and DoD contractors living overseas, and their family members, may be eligible to participate in the WIC Overseas program.

The program provides benefits to women during pregnancy and after the birth of their child. Benefits may be provided to the mother until the infant is six months old, or, for mothers who are breastfeeding, until the child’s first birthday.

WIC Overseas also provides nutritional benefits for children, helping them achieve a wholesome, well-balanced diet. Eligible children may participate up to age five.

Income and family size, as well as certain other criteria, are considered when determining eligibility. You may also be eligible if you have participated in the stateside WIC program.

Contact your local WIC Overseas office to see if you and your children are eligible for WIC Overseas nutritional benefits. A WIC Overseas counselor will help you determine if you can join the program and, if so, will help you get started. To locate the nearest WIC Overseas office, contact your base or installation information operator or visit the TRICARE Web site at http://www.tricare.osd.mil/wic.

IFrequently Asked Questions

1. Does WIC Overseas cost me anything?

There are no enrollment fees or costs to you. The WIC Overseas program is a DoD benefit available to those who qualify.

2. How can I find out if I qualify for the WIC Overseas program?

You should contact your local WIC Overseas office for an appointment with a counselor who will determine your eligibility WIC Overseas offices are listed with your base or installation information operator or on the TRICARE Web site at http://www.tricare.osd.mil/wic.

3. Can I substitute food items if the commissary does not have the exact item listed on my draft?

No, you cannot make any substitutions or get rain checks. Keep your draft to use when the item is in stock. Make sure you are aware of the expiration date on your draft.

4. Can I have someone else shop for me?

Yes, you may have a “proxy” shop for you. First you must have your proxy formally registered with your WIC Overseas office. Please ask your WIC Overseas counselor for the appropriate paperwork.

5. If I am in the WIC program stateside, can I continue my participation when I’m transferred overseas?

Yes, you can continue participation in the program without recertification or re-enrollment. Once you have transferred overseas, you must call your local WIC Overseas office to make arrangements to switch to the WIC Overseas drafts. Your participation will continue uninterrupted for the rest of your certification period.

6. Can I use my WIC Overseas drafts in any store?

Unlike the stateside WIC program where WIC is accepted at a variety of stores, the WIC Overseas drafts can only be used in commissaries and NEXMARTs.

For More Information

Contact a WIC Overseas office. The telephone number is listed with your base or installation information operator or on the TRICARE Web site at http://www.tricare.osd.mil/wic.