US EditionHealthy Food Benefits for Women, Infants and Children in Limbo During Government Shutdown
WIC faces a potential funding gap due to the shutdown, risking services for 6.8 million people nationwide as states rely on limited contingency funds, officials say.
- On Wednesday, a USDA letter told state WIC directors they will not receive their next quarterly allocation due to the federal government shutdown, risking program funds running out in October.
- Democratic and Republican lawmakers failed to pass a funding bill before the midnight deadline, causing the federal government shutdown to coincide with the start of the 2026 fiscal year when WIC expected new funds.
- WIC served roughly 6.8 million people as of April 2022 and holds $150 million in contingency funds plus $135 million in rebate checks, sustaining operations for about one to two weeks.
- States will have to dip into their own funds to pay for WIC benefits, while Washington State Department of Health plans layoffs for about 50 staff starting October 6.
- If the shutdown continues beyond a week or two, experts warn the National WIC Association said `devastating disruptions` may deny millions of moms and children access to nutritious foods.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Food aid for women, children at risk if shutdown continues
Because Wednesday marked the start of the 2026 fiscal year, the WIC program — which provides free, healthy food to low-income pregnant women, new moms and children under 5 — was due for an influx of funding. Instead came the government shutdown. If it persists, access to the federal program, known in full as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, could be jeopardized. A USDA letter to WIC state agency directo…
Healthy food benefits for women, infants and children in limbo during government shutdown - Everett Post
(NEW YORK)– Sarah Manasrah has received aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children — commonly known as WIC — since her first child was born six years ago. The 37-year-old mother who lives with her husband and two girls, who are 6 and 3 years old, in Brooklyn, New York, told ABC News in an interview on Wednesday that she didn’t even know that the federal government shutdown could possibly affect WIC benefits — wh…
Guam\, CNMI and Micronesia: Collateral damage of federal shutdown
In Washington, a government shutdown is often framed as political theater. But on Guam and across Micronesia, it translates into missed meals, delayed medical care and strained trust in U.S. commitments.A mother in Tamuning who depends on WIC for infant formula doesn’t care which side of Congress blinked. She cares whether her benefits will load onto her card next week. For island communities thousands of miles away from Capitol Hill, the stakes…
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