WIC in Vermont is run by the Vermont Department of Health, which delivers the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children through its local health offices. Our directory lists 11 offices, from Burlington in the northwest to Springfield and Guilford near the Connecticut River. This page explains how the system is organized, how city and rural offices differ, and what to do before your first appointment.

WIC provides healthy food benefits, nutrition counseling, breastfeeding support and referrals to other services. It is meant for pregnant and postpartum women, infants and children under five. A typical visit is practical: a short health screening, a conversation about feeding your family, and an explanation of how to use your food benefits.

How the Vermont Department of Health Runs WIC

WIC is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and governed by federal rules, but each state runs its own program. In Vermont, the Health Department sets clinic procedures, trains staff, maintains the list of approved foods and authorizes the grocery stores that accept WIC benefits. The work is carried out through district health offices. That is why a WIC office often shares a building with other public health services.

Vermont has about 650,000 residents, and its county governments mostly handle courts and the sheriff. They do not run WIC, so the rules are the same everywhere in the state. A parent in Orleans County follows the same eligibility steps as a parent in Chittenden County. What changes is the practical side: how far you drive, how often your clinic is open, and whether staff can offer phone or evening appointments.

The Health Department organizes its work into twelve districts. Our database matches eleven offices across ten counties. Windsor County has two, in Hartford (White River Junction) and Springfield, while Barre, Burlington, Rutland and most other places have one each. Addison, Essex, Grand Isle and Orange counties have no listing in our records. The Middlebury district office in Addison County, for example, is not in our current data. Call the Health Department to confirm which office serves your town.

What a WIC Visit Provides

Benefits cover foods chosen for their nutrition: fruits and vegetables, whole grains, milk, eggs, beans, peanut butter and infant foods. Infants who are not exclusively breastfed can receive iron-fortified formula. Staff also offer nutrition counseling and breastfeeding help. They can refer you to other services, such as health insurance or child care programs. In summer, Vermont WIC families may also be offered coupons for local produce at farmers' markets, so ask your clinic whether they are available this year.

Burlington, Barre and Rutland: Offices in Vermont's Busier Corridors

Most of the state's families live along the Interstate 89 corridor and in the Champlain Valley. The Burlington district office at 108 Cherry Street serves the most populous county in Vermont and can be reached at 802-863-7323. Green Mountain Transit runs buses around Burlington, which helps families who do not have a car.

In central Vermont, the McFarland Office Building at 5 Perry Street in Barre houses the WIC office for Washington County. The listed number is the toll-free line, 888-253-8786. Barre is only a short drive from Montpelier. Farther south, the Rutland office sits at 88 Merchants Row in Rutland County and answers at 802-786-5811. Rutland is on Route 7 and Route 4, the main roads for the surrounding Green Mountain towns.

In the northwest, the St. Albans office at 27 Federal Street serves Franklin County, near Interstate 89 and the Canadian border. Its number is 802-524-7970. Busier offices tend to book further ahead, so schedule your visit as soon as you decide to apply. If you miss an appointment, call quickly, because your benefits depend on finishing certification on time.

Rural Vermont Offices: St. Johnsbury, Newport, Morristown and the South

Outside the Burlington area, towns are small and distances add up. The St. Johnsbury office at 107 Eastern Avenue serves Caledonia County and answers at 802-748-5151. The Newport office at 100 Main Street is in Orleans County, close to Lake Memphremagog and the Quebec border, and its number is 802-334-6707. Our listing carries a longer, unusual name for this site, so confirm the name and location when you call. In Lamoille County, the Morrisville office is at 63 Professional Drive in Morristown, reached at 802-888-7447.

Central and southern Vermont have four more listings. In Windsor County, the Hartford office at 118 Prospect Street (802-295-8820) serves the White River Junction area, and the Springfield office is at 100 Mineral Street (802-885-5778). In Windham County, the Brattleboro WIC Office is at 232 Main Street (802-257-2880). In Bennington County, the Bennington WIC Office is at 324 Main Street (802-447-3531). Our database files the Brattleboro office under Guilford and the Bennington office under Woodford, even though the office names point to Brattleboro and Bennington. Rely on the street address and phone number rather than the town label.

Distance is the main barrier outside Chittenden County. When you book, ask whether part of your visit can be done by phone and whether the clinic offers appointments outside school hours. Many families time a WIC visit with a pediatric checkup or a grocery trip to save a second drive. Winter storms and spring mud season can close back roads, so call before you leave if the weather looks poor.

Eligibility and What to Bring to a Vermont WIC Appointment

To qualify, you must live in Vermont, fall into a WIC category and have a nutrition need confirmed by a health professional. The categories are pregnant women, women up to six months after pregnancy ends, breastfeeding women up to their baby's first birthday, infants, and children up to age five. You do not have to be a U.S. citizen.

Income must generally be at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level. Families already receiving Medicaid (including Dr. Dynasaur for children), 3SquaresVT or Reach Up are usually treated as income-eligible. WIC itself is free. Bring as many of these items as you can:

Staff will measure height and weight, ask about diet and health history, and may do a quick iron check. If you are missing a document, tell the office when you book, and staff can explain what they accept instead. Your next step is simple: pick the office nearest you from the numbers above, call, and ask for a WIC appointment.

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

WIC Office locations are available in 11 cities across Vermont. They are spread across 10 counties.

Cities with the highest number of WIC offices include Woodford, St. Albans, St. Johnsbury, 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 Vermont 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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Vermont 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 Vermont, 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 Vermont to find the WIC clinic serving your area and get contact information for scheduling an eligibility appointment.

Using WIC Around Vermont: Seasons, Borders and Moves

Geography shapes how WIC works day to day in Vermont. Winter storms, mud season on dirt roads and long drives between towns affect your planning more than anything on a form. If you live far from your district office, ask which parts of your visit can be handled by phone. Then book the in-person part for a day when you already have errands nearby.

WIC benefits are used at grocery stores authorized by the Health Department, including large supermarkets and many smaller stores. Ask your clinic for the current food list and approved stores before you shop. It is easier to check ahead than to be turned away at the register. In summer, also ask about farmers' market produce coupons.

Families who move have options. If you relocate within Vermont, tell your WIC office so your records can be transferred to the nearest district office, such as Hartford, Rutland or St. Albans in Franklin County. If you move out of state, ask for a verification of certification document, which other states accept so you do not have to start over. WIC is state-based, so you apply where you live. Families near the borders with New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts and Quebec should remember that Vermont clinics serve Vermont residents.

Call the district office nearest you, such as Burlington at 802-863-7323 or Rutland at 802-786-5811, and ask for a WIC appointment. Staff will tell you which documents to bring. At the visit, they confirm your residence and income, check height and weight, and may test iron levels with a small finger stick. A trained staff member then reviews your diet and answers questions. If you qualify, they explain your food benefits and how to start using them. If you are unsure which office serves your town, ask when you call.

WIC is free. There is no application fee and no charge for counseling or breastfeeding help. Income eligibility is generally set at 185 percent of the federal poverty level. The dollar amounts change each year and depend on household size, so ask the clinic for the current chart rather than relying on an older figure. For pregnant applicants, federal rules usually count the expected baby in household size, which can help a family qualify. If your income is close to the limit, apply anyway and let staff do the calculation.

Not automatically, but it simplifies the process. Families who receive Medicaid, including Dr. Dynasaur coverage for children, 3SquaresVT food benefits or Reach Up cash assistance are generally treated as meeting the income requirement. You still need to be in a WIC category, live in Vermont and have a nutrition need confirmed at the appointment. Bring your enrollment letter or card so staff do not need to review pay stubs. WIC works alongside these programs, and staff can tell you about other help you may qualify for.

Our database has no WIC listing in those four counties, but families there are not left without service. Vermont organizes health services by district, and district lines do not always follow county lines. Addison County has a district office in Middlebury that is not in our current listings. Families in Grand Isle County may be closest to Burlington or St. Albans, while Essex County families may look to St. Johnsbury in Caledonia County or to Newport. A good first call is the toll-free number listed for the Barre office, 888-253-8786.

Certification periods depend on your category. Pregnant women, breastfeeding women, infants and children each have different lengths, and children are generally recertified about once a year with a check-in in between. Staff tell you your end date and schedule the next visit before you leave. Recertification involves a quick health check and an income review, unless you are enrolled in a qualifying program. Children leave WIC at their fifth birthday, and postpartum categories end at set points after birth. Keep your appointment reminders handy so benefits do not lapse.

Often yes. WIC serves families, and the person who brings a child may be a parent, guardian, foster parent or other caregiver. The first certification usually requires the child to be present so staff can measure height and weight, and the caregiver must bring identification and the child's information. Ask the office what authorization it needs before you send someone else to a follow-up visit or to shop with your benefits. Call ahead, for example Newport at 802-334-6707 or Morrisville at 802-888-7447, so no one makes a trip without the right paperwork.