Government Shutdown Threatens Nutrition Aid for Women, Infants, and Children
WASHINGTON – A looming government shutdown poses an immediate threat to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), potentially disrupting access to vital food assistance for millions of low-income families. Unlike some other federal programs, WIC faces a particularly short funding runway due to the shutdown occurring at the start of the federal fiscal year, with funding potentially drying up in as little as two weeks.
The program provides groceries to roughly 7 million eligible Americans-primarily pregnant and postpartum women, new mothers, and children under five-based on income and nutritional need. For participants like a mother in an unnamed location quoted in the report, WIC is crucial for affording healthy food.”The prices of milk, the prices of eggs, prices of bread.All of these things are, like, astronomical,” she said. “So it would be a huge hit to us.”
According to Nell Menefee-Libey of the National WIC Association, initial funding will come from a contingency fund and rebates from infant formula companies.However, states will ultimately need to fill any funding gaps, with availability of state resources varying.Colorado has already taken action, with lawmakers approving $7.5 million to fund WIC within the state on September 30, 2025. Past shutdowns have seen states reimbursed for such spending.
If the shutdown persists, WIC offices may be forced to prioritize services, focusing on pregnant and breastfeeding women while potentially turning away preschool-age children. Menefee-Libey warned, “If people are turned away, you don’t get them back. That is the prospect to reach your family during these really critical and vulnerable life stages. And turning someone away means losing an opportunity for a healthy future for a child.”
Research demonstrates WIC’s positive impact on pregnancy outcomes,children’s progress,and long-term dietary habits,ultimately reducing healthcare costs.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a larger food aid program, is currently better positioned, as benefits are loaded onto cards a month in advance. Gina Plata-Nino of the Food Research & Action Center stated, “Their benefits are going to be there for October. And anyone who is eligible should feel free to apply.”
Food banks are also preparing for increased demand, anticipating needs from furloughed federal workers and those required to work without pay, mirroring experiences from the 2018 shutdown when “we did have people in suits waiting at food banks,” Plata-Nino recalled, “Because there was no money coming in, and people had to pay their rent.”
