The Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) was formally created by an amendment to section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 on September 26, 1972. By the end of 1974, WIC was operating in 45 states. On October 7, 1975, WIC was established as a permanent program.

The WIC program provides nutritious foods and nutrition assessment and counseling to low income pregnant and postpartum women, infants and children under the age of five who are determined to be at nutritional risk. The program is administered by the Food and Nutrition Service, and agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The WIC program is federally funded, although some states supplement the federal funds.

The WIC program is regarded as one of the most effective and successful for all federal programs. Evaluations of the program have found compelling evidence of its effectiveness in improving the health of participating women, infants, and children. WIC has been linked to reductions in the incidence of late fetal deaths, low birth weight, prematurity, and anemia, and to improvements in the diets and nutritional status of its clients. The evaluations have also produced evidence that WIC results in reduced hospitalization costs and lowers Medicaid expenditures.