WIC Food Expenses Formula Grant Award Summary

The Maryland Department of Health, Division of Medicaid, received a $3.7 million formula grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service under the WIC Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (CFDA 10.557) for the fiscal year October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. This award specifically supports WIC Food Expenses and provides supplemental nutritious foods to income-eligible pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five who meet nutritional risk criteria.

As the designated state WIC agency, Maryland Department of Health distributes these funds to local WIC agencies and clinics throughout the state to deliver supplemental food benefits to eligible participants. The award supports the core food assistance component of the WIC program, which operates through a federal-state partnership model wherein the state agency serves as the administrative intermediary between the federal funding agency and local service delivery sites. Complementary to food benefits delivery, the program also facilitates nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support services, and referrals to health and social services for vulnerable maternal and child populations.