Families in Maine who need help buying healthy food for a pregnant parent, an infant or a young child sign up for WIC at a local clinic, not through one central state office. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In Maine it is administered by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, part of the Department of Health and Human Services. Contracted local agencies do the day-to-day work. This page covers the 21 sites in our database and explains how to pick one, what to bring and what to expect.

How Maine Organizes WIC: State Rules and Local Agencies

Federal rules set the broad framework: who can qualify, which foods are covered and how income is measured. Maine CDC runs the state grant, writes program policy, trains clinic staff and approves the grocery stores that accept WIC benefits. Local agencies then run the clinics where families enroll, meet with a nutrition professional and receive their benefits.

The names in our listings show who those agencies are. Community action programs operate many of the sites. Western Maine Community Action appears at 79 Main Street in Auburn and 20 Church Street in Wilton. Community Action Corporation sites in Biddeford and Sanford serve York County. The Aroostook County Action Program runs the Presque Isle site, and Midcoast Maine Community Action runs the Rockland site. Maine Family Planning operates the clinics in Calais, Ellsworth and Machias, while Maine General Community Care is named on the listings in Augusta, Skowhegan and Waterville.

Two urban sites follow a different pattern. The Bangor Public Health & Community Services WIC Office at 103 Texas Avenue is tied to city public health. In Portland, the Portland The Opportunity Alliance WIC Office at 510 Cumberland Avenue is run by a large social-service nonprofit. The same federal program sits behind each clinic, but the waiting room, the hours and the extra services differ from one agency to the next.

The practical lesson is that the agency serving your area matters more than the town where you work or shop. Ask each clinic which towns it serves before you book.

Kennebec Valley and Somerset: Augusta, Waterville and Skowhegan

Kennebec County has five listings in our database, more than any other Maine county. Augusta alone has three. The Augusta Maine General Community Care WIC Office is at 6 Chestnut Street (207-626-6350). The Augusta WIC Office at 263 Water Street (207-621-6202) and the Augusta Health Bureau WIC Office at 286 Water Street (207-287-3991) are both on Water Street. Because the names overlap, call before you travel and ask which location is currently scheduling WIC appointments.

Waterville has two listings. The Waterville Maine General Community Care WIC Office is at 10 Water Street (207-861-3580), and the Waterville WIC Office is at 63 Eustis Parkway (207-872-1593). Families from smaller towns along the Kennebec River often pick whichever Waterville or Augusta clinic lines up with their work or childcare schedule.

Farther north, Somerset County has two listings, and both use the same address and phone: 165 North Avenue in Skowhegan, 207-474-7463. One appears as the Skowhegan Maine General Community Care WIC Office and the other simply as the Skowhegan WIC Office. Treat them as one clinic unless the staff tell you otherwise. The same overlap shows up in Wilton, covered below.

Rural Maine: Franklin, Washington, Hancock and Aroostook

Maine is the largest state in New England, and outside the southern corridor the clinics are spread thin. A single site may serve several towns, so plan for drive time, especially in winter. Ask early whether your certification visit can be done by phone or video, and whether a later check-in can be handled remotely. Policies on remote visits have changed over the years, so confirm with the clinic rather than assuming.

In Franklin County, the Wilton Western Maine Community Action WIC Office and the Franklin County Community Services WIC Office share 20 Church Street and the number 207-645-3764. In Washington County, the Calais Maine Family Planning WIC Office is at 43 Union Street (207-454-3634) and the Machias Maine Family Planning WIC Office is at 247 Main Street (207-255-8280). Those two towns are at opposite ends of a long, thinly populated county, so choose the one closer to your home and not just the one with the earlier opening.

On the coast, the Ellsworth Maine Family Planning WIC Office at 248 State Street (207-667-5304) is the Hancock County listing. In Aroostook County, the Aroostook County Action Program WIC Office is at 44 Park Street in Presque Isle (207-768-3026). Families in the far north should ask the clinic how it handles families who live a long way from town.

Southern and Coastal Maine: Portland, Biddeford, Sanford, Bath and Beyond

Southern Maine has the densest population and the most transit options, but not necessarily shorter waits. In York County, the York County Biddeford Community Action Corporation WIC Office is at 15 York Street (207-283-2402) and the York County Sanford Community Action Corporation WIC Office is at 6 Spruce Street (207-459-2942). Portland's Opportunity Alliance site is at 510 Cumberland Avenue (207-553-5800).

Further up the coast, the Bath WIC Office is at 34 Wing Farm Parkway (207-442-7963), the Rockland Midcoast Maine Community Action WIC Office at 7 Union Street (207-594-4329) and the Belfast WIC Office at 147 Waldo Avenue (207-338-1267). Auburn's site at 79 Main Street (207-795-4016) serves the Lewiston-Auburn area. Each of these anchors a county or region with few other options.

What to Bring to a Maine WIC Appointment

Your first visit is called certification. A staff member confirms that you qualify and checks your health and diet. Bring the following if you can:

Expect questions about eating habits and health history. Staff may do a quick blood test for iron. Then you receive nutrition counseling and your benefits. Plan on about an hour, and ask about childcare for older siblings. If a document is missing, call ahead. Staff can often tell you what substitute proof is accepted.

WIC offices throughout Maine are administered by the state health department through a network of local clinic agencies — including county health departments, hospitals, community health centers, and nonprofit organizations — that are authorized to certify participants and provide nutrition services. Maine's WIC program follows USDA federal guidelines while operating its own approved food list and vendor management system.

WIC Office locations are available in 16 cities across Maine. They are spread across 13 counties.

Cities with the highest number of WIC offices include Augusta, Wilton, Skowhegan, which serve large populations of eligible families and often host multiple clinic sites to reduce travel barriers.

Pregnant women, new mothers, and families with young children in Maine who think they may be eligible for WIC are encouraged to apply even if they are unsure — income eligibility is based on household size and WIC serves families up to 185% of the federal poverty level. Applying does not affect other public benefit programs.

WIC Office by Counties

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Maine WIC participants can find their nearest authorized WIC vendor — the grocery stores and pharmacies where their EBT benefits can be used — through the state WIC program's vendor locator tool. If you move within Maine, contact your current WIC clinic to transfer your case to the new local agency without losing your current certification period.

Browse WIC Office by county across Maine to find the WIC clinic serving your area and get contact information for scheduling an eligibility appointment.

Planning Your Visit to a Maine WIC Clinic

Maine's weather and geography shape how families use WIC. Winter storms can close roads in Franklin, Somerset and Aroostook counties, so call the clinic in the morning if snow is forecast. A rescheduled appointment is better than a long drive to a locked door.

Many listings share addresses, and some offices carry the name of one agency in our records and another on the door. The two Skowhegan entries at 165 North Avenue and the two Wilton entries at 20 Church Street are examples. The three Augusta entries sit on Chestnut Street and Water Street. When you phone, give the street address you plan to visit and ask the staff to confirm it.

Appointments are usually easier to get early in the month and midweek. If you are pregnant, enroll as soon as you can, because benefits are tied to your certification period. If you move within Maine, tell your clinic so your file can be transferred, and bring your current eWIC card if you have one. Also ask which grocery stores near your new town accept WIC. Maine CDC maintains the approved-store list, and the store must be authorized before you shop there.

WIC serves pregnant women, women who recently gave birth, breastfeeding mothers, infants and children up to age five. You must live in Maine and be at nutritional risk, which a clinic staff member determines during your visit. Household income must generally be at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level. Participation in SNAP, MaineCare or TANF can also establish income eligibility. Because income limits are updated each year, ask the clinic for the current figures. A single phone call to a site such as the Bangor or Augusta clinic will tell you whether to book.

No. Enrolling, attending appointments and receiving nutrition counseling are free at every WIC clinic in Maine, whether it is run by a community action agency, Maine Family Planning or a city health department. You do not pay for the benefits themselves either; they cover specific foods you choose at an authorized grocery store. If anyone asks for a fee to apply, stop and call Maine CDC or the clinic directly. Bring only the documents the clinic requests and keep a note of the date and time of your appointment.

Our database lists the Augusta Maine General Community Care WIC Office at 6 Chestnut Street (207-626-6350), the Augusta WIC Office at 263 Water Street (207-621-6202) and the Augusta Health Bureau WIC Office at 286 Water Street (207-287-3991). Start with the Chestnut Street number, since it carries the agency name. If staff cannot book you, ask which of the others is taking new appointments. Mention that you live in Kennebec County and give your town, so they can confirm that you are in their service area before you travel.

Our Washington County listings are the Calais Maine Family Planning WIC Office on Union Street (207-454-3634) and the Machias Maine Family Planning WIC Office on Main Street (207-255-8280). For Aroostook County, the Aroostook County Action Program WIC Office is on Park Street in Presque Isle (207-768-3026). Call the closest one and ask about phone or video visits, satellite appointment days and how often you must come in person. Policies vary by agency and change over time, so ask for the current arrangement and write it down.

At your appointment, staff set up your benefits and explain how to use them. Maine uses an electronic card, so you swipe it at checkout, much like a debit card. Your package lists the foods you can buy, which typically include milk, eggs, whole grains, cereal, beans and peanut butter. Infants may receive formula or baby food, and a monthly amount is set aside for fruits and vegetables. Shop only at authorized stores, and check your remaining balance before you go. If a cashier is unsure, ask them to call the store manager.

No. Federal WIC rules do not require citizenship. You must live in Maine, meet the income and nutritional-risk standards, and fall into one of the participant categories. Clinics ask for identification and a Maine address, but they do not need to see immigration papers to enroll a child or a pregnant parent. If you are unsure about a document, call a clinic such as the Portland Opportunity Alliance site (207-553-5800) and ask what they accept. Staff handle these questions daily and can explain what to bring.