Federal Government Shutdown Puts WIC Program in Jeopardy

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, provides federal grants to states “for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.”

According to the Washington Post, the USDA says it should be able to provide WIC benefits through October, but if the shutdown continues beyond the end of the month, continued funding is uncertain.
The Department of Public Health (DPH) administers Connecticut’s WIC program. According to DPH, 58,000 clients currently receive WIC benefits. The department recently posted the following message on its website:

As of midnight October 1, the federal government has shutdown. However, the Connecticut WIC Program is able to continue to provide services to participants for the time being by using current available funds. The state WIC Program will continue to monitor and assess the situation and provide updates as needed.