WIC Services in Tennessee: How to Find the Right Clinic

Families across Tennessee can get WIC help in nearly every county, from busy Memphis neighborhoods to small towns such as Altamont and Byrdstown. WIC stands for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. It gives eligible families healthy food, nutrition counseling, breastfeeding support, and health referrals at no cost.

This page lists WIC offices throughout the state. Because the program runs through health departments, the best office for you is usually the one in your own county or the closest regional clinic. The sections below explain how the system is organised, how city and rural service differ, and how to prepare for your first appointment.

How the Tennessee Department of Health Runs WIC

WIC is a federal program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Each state receives grant money and operates the program under federal rules. In Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Health administers WIC. The department sets the policies every clinic follows, including how eligibility is verified and which foods the benefit covers.

Daily service happens at local and regional health departments. Tennessee has 95 counties, grouped into health regions. Six metropolitan areas run their own departments: Shelby, Hamilton, Knox, Davidson, Madison, and Sullivan counties. The other counties belong to seven rural regions supported by the state, and each county keeps its own health department.

That structure explains why so many listings carry names such as County Health Department WIC Office. In most counties, WIC is one service inside a health department building, alongside immunizations, family planning, and child health screenings. You can often handle more than one need in a single trip.

City Clinics and Small-Town Offices: What Changes Across Tennessee

Memphis, Chattanooga, and Knoxville

Shelby County has the largest concentration of WIC sites in the state. The Shelby County Health Guthrie Primary Health Clinic WIC Office sits at 1064 Breedlove Street in Memphis, and you can reach it at 901-515-5400. Browse everything in Shelby County to compare sites near your home or workplace.

In Chattanooga, the Hamilton County Health Department Family Health Clinic WIC Office is at 921 East 3rd Street, phone 423-209-8050. A second Hamilton County site operates at 5623 Tennessee 60 in Birchwood, 423-961-0446. Our Hamilton County page shows both. In Knoxville, the Knoxville East Tennessee Regional WIC Office on Medical Center Way answers at 865-546-9221.

Cities offer more locations, more appointment choices, and easier bus access. The trade-off is demand. Popular clinics fill up, so book early and ask about the soonest opening at nearby sites.

Rural Counties and Regional Offices

Outside the metros, most counties have a single WIC office. The Crockett County WIC Office is at 209 North Bells Street in Alamo, 731-696-4410. The Grundy County Health Department WIC Office is at 1372 Main Street in Altamont, 931-692-3641. In Byrdstown, the Pickett County Health Department WIC Office is at 1013 Woodlawn Drive, 931-864-3178. More detail is on the Crockett County page.

Regional offices fill the gaps. The Upper Cumberland Regional WIC Office at 1100 England Drive in Cookeville is listed in Putnam County and is a sensible starting point for families in that part of the state. Its number is 931-528-7531. The Union City Regional WIC Office, at 1010 Mount Zion Road in Union, serves Obion County and answers at 731-884-2645.

Other examples show the same pattern. The Coffee County Tullahoma Health Department WIC Office is at 615 Wilson Avenue, 931-455-9369. The Polk County Health Department WIC Office is at 2279 Parksville Road in Benton, 423-338-4533. Each is a county health department first, with WIC as one of its services.

Rural clinics may run WIC on set days or hours, and the drive can be long. Call before you go. Confirm which days WIC staff are on site, and ask whether the clinic can see all of your children at one appointment.

Who Qualifies for WIC in Tennessee

Federal rules set the framework, and Tennessee clinics apply them the same way statewide. An applicant must meet four tests:

Families who already receive TennCare, SNAP, or Families First cash assistance are generally treated as income-eligible. Bring proof of that coverage. Working families qualify too, and so do fathers, grandparents, foster parents, and guardians who care for a child.

What to Bring and What to Expect at the First Visit

Plan on an appointment of about an hour, though times vary by clinic. Staff will ask for three kinds of paperwork: identification, proof of where you live, and proof of income or program participation. A driver's license, a recent utility bill, and recent pay stubs or a TennCare or SNAP letter usually cover it. Bring the child's shot record if you have one.

Infants and children must come in person so staff can measure height and weight. Staff may also check iron levels with a quick finger-stick test. A nutritionist reviews diet and answers feeding questions. If you qualify, you leave with a food benefit and a schedule for follow-up visits.

What the Benefit Covers

WIC does not hand out cash. Benefits are issued for specific foods, such as milk, eggs, cheese, whole grains, beans, peanut butter, and infant cereal, plus a monthly amount for fruits and vegetables. Babies who are not fully breastfed can receive infant formula. Benefits are used only at WIC-authorized grocers, and the clinic shows you how to shop with them. Many clinics also offer breastfeeding counseling, so ask about it when you book.

Practical Next Steps

Start by finding your county or nearest city on this page. Call the listed number and say you want to apply for WIC. Ask which documents to bring, whether walk-ins are accepted, and which days WIC staff are on site. If the first clinic has no near-term openings, ask about another site in your region. Write down the date and time before you hang up.

After your first visit, expect to return for periodic recertification and nutrition education. If your address, income, or family size changes, tell the clinic promptly so your records stay accurate.

WIC offices throughout Tennessee 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. Tennessee's WIC program follows USDA federal guidelines while operating its own approved food list and vendor management system.

WIC Office locations are available in 107 cities across Tennessee. They are spread across 92 counties.

Cities with the highest number of WIC offices include Memphis, Chattanooga, Lexington, 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 Tennessee 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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Tennessee 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 Tennessee, 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 Tennessee to find the WIC clinic serving your area and get contact information for scheduling an eligibility appointment.

WIC Offices by Region: West, Middle, and East Tennessee

Tennessee's three grand divisions each have their own pattern of WIC access, and the listings reflect that.

In West Tennessee, the Dyer County Health Department WIC Office at 1755 Parr Avenue in Dyersburg takes calls at 731-285-7311. See the Dyer County page for listings there. Henderson County's office is at 90 Rush Street in Lexington, 731-968-8148. Hardeman County's is at 10825 Old Highway 64 in Bolivar, 731-658-5291, and Haywood County's is at 950 East Main Street in Brownsville, 731-772-0463.

Middle Tennessee listings include the Montgomery County WIC Office at 300 Pageant Lane in Clarksville, 931-551-8777. The Cheatham County Health Department WIC Office is at 162 County Services Drive in Ashland City, 615-792-4318. Hickman County's office is at 111 Murphree Avenue in Centerville, 931-729-3516.

In East Tennessee, the Sullivan County Health Department WIC Office is at 154 Blountville Bypass in Blountville, 423-279-2777. The Sullivan County page has more. Hawkins County has a Church Hill site at 247 Silver Lake Road, 423-357-5341. Others include McMinn County in Athens at 423-745-7431, Bradley County in Cleveland at 423-728-7020, and Anderson County in Clinton at 865-425-8804.

Phone numbers and hours can change, so confirm by calling before you travel, especially in smaller counties.

Frequently Asked Questions About WIC in Tennessee

The Tennessee Department of Health runs the state's WIC program using federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Local and regional health departments deliver the service, so your first contact is normally a clinic near you. WIC itself is free. There is no application fee, no charge for nutrition counseling, and no charge for breastfeeding support. Your only costs are any groceries beyond what your benefit covers. Ask staff to explain anything you are unsure about.

You must live in Tennessee to qualify, but the program is built around local health departments, and most families use the clinic closest to home. Some choose a clinic in a neighboring county because it is nearer to work, child care, or a bus route. Policies can vary by site, so call the office you prefer and ask. If you move within the state, tell your clinic, since your participation can generally be transferred without starting over.

Household income must be at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level. The dollar amounts depend on household size and are updated each year, so the clinic uses the current chart instead of a fixed number. Families enrolled in TennCare, SNAP, or Families First are usually treated as income-eligible, so a current benefit letter can speed things up. If you are close to the limit, ask staff to review your paperwork and explain what income counts.

Eligibility follows life stages. Pregnant women qualify during pregnancy and for up to six months afterward. Mothers who breastfeed can stay until the baby's first birthday. Infants qualify until age one, and children can remain until they turn five. Within those limits, clinics certify participants for set periods and then recheck eligibility at recertification. Ask your clinic when your next review is due and what to bring.

Call the clinic directly. In Memphis, the Shelby County Health Guthrie Primary Health Clinic WIC Office is at 901-515-5400. In Chattanooga, the Hamilton County Health Department Family Health Clinic WIC Office is at 423-209-8050. Tell staff whether you are pregnant, have an infant, or have a child under five. Ask which documents to bring and whether other times are available. If the nearest clinic is full, ask about other county sites, such as the Birchwood office at 423-961-0446.

WIC covers specific foods chosen for nutrition, not cash. Typical items include milk, eggs, cheese, whole-grain bread or cereal, beans or peanut butter, infant cereal, and a set monthly amount for fruits and vegetables. Infants who are not fully breastfed can receive formula. Benefits work only at WIC-authorized stores, so look for the WIC sign or ask your clinic which local grocers participate. Staff will review exactly what your food package contains.

Yes. WIC serves the child, and the adult who cares for that child can apply. That includes fathers, grandparents, foster parents, and legal guardians. The child usually needs to attend so staff can take measurements. Bring the child's identification or birth record if you have it, proof of address, and proof of income or program participation. If you are not the parent, bring any paperwork showing you are the caregiver, and call ahead to confirm what the clinic needs.