Over 56,000 participants in the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children—also known as WIC—shared their experiences of the program in the latest 2025 Multi-State WIC Participant Satisfaction Survey report. WIC provides nutrition education, breastfeeding support, referrals to healthcare and social services, and access to healthy foods for pregnant and postpartum women, as well as young children. WIC serves approximately 6.9 million eligible participants through over 12,000 Local Agencies nationwide. 

WIC Agencies from 25 states and two Indian Tribal Organizations participated in the project, which surveyed participants between July and September 2025. This project builds on previous multi-state WIC participant satisfaction surveys conducted in 2021 with over 26,000 WIC participants across 12 WIC State agencies and 2023 with over 38,000 participants in 20 WIC State agencies. The 2025 survey was expanded to include 4 languages and also reports results stratified by respondents' race and ethnicity.

Key findings from the 2025 Multi-State WIC Participant Satisfaction Survey showed: 

• 42% of respondents were employed or going to school either part- or full-time
• 62% reported household food insecurity
• 14% reported concerns about coming to WIC due to information they had heard about immigration and benefits
• Participants use a hybrid of in-person and remote options for engaging with WIC: 85% provided enrollment and recertification documents in person, while 61% also used remote options; telephone (88%) and in-person (71%) were the most common methods for scheduling appointments
• 97% reported satisfaction with WIC customer service
• 78% reported no challenges with WIC services
• The top two reasons for participating in WIC were the fruits and vegetables (97%) and other foods in the WIC food packages (92%)
• 85% reported changing how they feed themselves or their family because of something they learned from WIC
• 97% felt respected, valued, and welcomed by WIC staff
• 85% want to shop for fruits and vegetables at a farmers’ market and 84% want to use a self-checkout aisle in the store
• Shopping for WIC foods remains challenging - 66% reported difficulty finding WIC foods in stores and 60% said their preferred brands were unavailable
• 97% were satisfied with the WIC card and 93% were satisfied with the WIC app
• 76% said the $26 monthly Cash Value Benefit—or CVB—to buy fruits and vegetables for children was not enough, and 45% said the $52 CVB for breastfeeding participants and the $47 CVB for pregnant and postpartum participants
• 63% said the WIC food packages have improved over the past year in states that implemented changes fully
• Between 30-57% said key WIC food package items—such as eggs and tofu, infant formula, cheese, whole-grain foods, juice, and yogurt—were inadequate in the amounts provided

Satisfaction with WIC’s hybrid service model increased from 2021 to 2025, suggesting continued hybrid services may benefit participants facing access challenges. Building on prior surveys for trend comparisons, the 2025 survey added questions on breastfeeding support, updated food packages, and immigration-related concerns. Findings from this study can inform the USDA and WIC State Agencies on participant-centered approaches to boost WIC participation and retain participants already enrolled in WIC.

Survey findings will be shared at two upcoming events. Danielle Lee will co-present survey findings with Loan Kim on Thursday, May 28, 1-2pm CDT at the National WIC Association's 2026 Annual Education and Training Conference in Dallas Texas. Danielle Lee, Dania Orta-Aleman and KC Fiedler will co-present survey findings in a free National WIC Association webinar on Thursday, June 4, 12-1pm PDT, Lessons Learned from the 2025 Multi-State WIC Participant Satisfaction Survey.

This survey is part of the National WIC Association’s Advancing Health Equity to Achieve Diversity & Inclusion in WIC 3.0: Enhancing Equity throughout the WIC Participant Journey project, which aims to enhance understanding of and address barriers to WIC participation, particularly for Black, Brown, and Indigenous families. Report authors include Danielle L. Lee, Celeste Felix, KC Fiedler, Hailey Powell, Dania Orta-Aleman and Lorrene D. Ritchie from the Nutrition Policy Institute, Loan Kim from Pepperdine University, Shannon Whaley from Public Health Foundation Enterprises-WIC, and Hanna Griffin and Stacy Davis from the National WIC Association.