The White House says it has funding to keep the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children running during an extended government shutdown, but it is still unclear how it will get to states’ health agencies and if it will arrive before funds run out.
While states have historically picked up the tab during government shutdowns, this one is testing the limits of state safety nets as federal dollars for WIC begin to dry up. They’re operating with little information from the federal government about whether they would be reimbursed if states did have to step in to cover the bill.
“In prior shutdowns, USDA has reimbursed the use of state general funds for WIC,” Roseline Hooks, a spokesperson for the National WIC Association, told NOTUS in a statement on Monday. “However, at this time, the USDA has not issued guidance on this matter for this particular shutdown.”