Toolkit

New Hampshire WIC Online Pre-application

By New Hampshire WIC Program

NH WIC Online Preapplication

New Hampshire WIC’s online preapplication is accessed via a link on the NH Department of Health and Human Services website, as well as through many other internal and external stakeholder websites that NH families frequently visit; such as the Welcome Families NH, local agency WIC programs, NH SNAP, and the NH Food Access Map website, as well as the NH WIC Facebook page. The preapplication site allows applicants to actively engage NH WIC online by submitting demographic information and requesting that a WIC clinic in their area contact them at their preferred time to schedule an enrollment appointment. Applicants can check their income eligibility prior to submitting a request using the “Am I Eligible” link.
Submitted requests are processed through the NH MIS eligibility system and sit as pending on the WIC Preapplication dashboard, specific to the agency that serves the community indicated by the applicant on the request. Local agency and state agency staff can view and access the pending, approved and denied preapplications through the dashboard screen. Local agencies are encouraged to follow up with all requests within 72 hours for an appointment. This same information is provided to the applicant onscreen and through a confirmation email at the conclusion of the online preapplication form. Local WIC staff can then access the pending applicant and perform a dual participation check on all members of the household applying for WIC services to ensure they are not already a WIC participant before creating a new record for enrollment.

The preapplication dashboard is integrated with the MIS eligibility system to not create dual records. In addition to new applicants, some current participants have used the tool to follow up with WIC and/or recertify on the program after a short time of not participating. Upon completing the dual participation check on the applicants, the WIC staff person marks the pending preapplication record as approved or not approved to then export the record into the agency’s database for certification.
On average, since the launch of the preapplication tool in late December 2020, NH has received on average 30 requests each week; in total almost 600 preapplications since the launch of the tool on December 27, 2020. Of those households that have submitted a request through the preapplication tool, 70% we approved as new and imported into the WIC eligibility system for a certification appointment, 28% were denied due to being a duplicate record (which means they are already in the NH WIC eligibility system and just needed a recertification or second contact appointment).

For information, contact the NH WIC Nutrition program at wic@dhhs.nh.gov or the NH WIC Director, Lissa Sirois at Lissa.a.sirois@dhhs.nh.gov.

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Date Added
June 9, 2021