Federal Shutdown Threatens Vital Nutrition Assistance Programs
The looming federal shutdown poses a significant threat to nutrition assistance programs that many pregnant women and new parents rely on, even as major benefits like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security remain unaffected. For individuals like Lucia Graves, these programs have been a crucial lifeline.
Lucia Graves discovered she was pregnant in March 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic began. As a waitress, she faced financial uncertainty. “So here I am like, ‘Oh my goodness. I have this baby on the way, and now I have no job,'” Graves recalls.
Residing in Lebanon, N.H., Graves experienced pregnancy complications, leading to her daughter being born prematurely. After a brief period of breastfeeding, her milk supply diminished. Fortunately, Graves qualified for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), providing much-needed support.
“They were able to cover baby formula, which is huge,” she notes. “They gave us like 10 or 12 cans each [month]. That still didn’t cover everything that my child needed, but it covered a lot.”
WIC offers more than formula support; it provides breastfeeding assistance, nutrition counseling, and serves children up to age five, reaching nearly 7 million individuals nationwide, including almost half of all infants born in the U.S. (Source).
Graves, now engaged, also supports her fiancé’s young daughter. Both children receive $26 monthly for fruits and vegetables, along with a list of WIC-approved groceries. If these benefits cease, she worries about their ability to maintain a healthy diet and manage expenses. “The prices of milk, the prices of eggs, prices of bread. All of these things are, like, astronomical,” Graves says. “So it would be a huge hit to us.”
This potential hit may arrive sooner than during the 2018 government shutdown, as it coincides with the start of the federal fiscal year. Without a new budget, agencies lack new funding.
Nell Menefee-Libey from the National WIC Association warns, “We have a really short runway here before we would reach a real crisis in program operations,” estimating this period at about two weeks.
Funding to sustain operations will initially come from contingency funds, leftover budget allocations, and rebates from infant formula companies. States may need to bridge any gaps, with resource availability varying by state. For instance, Colorado lawmakers approved $7.5 million to support WIC in their state, anticipating reimbursement as in previous shutdowns.
Research highlights WIC’s benefits, improving pregnancy and birth outcomes, child development, and long-term health, ultimately reducing healthcare costs. However, prolonged shutdowns may force WIC offices to prioritize pregnant and breastfeeding women over preschool-aged children.
“If people are turned away, you don’t get them back,” Menefee-Libey emphasizes. “That is the opportunity 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.”
Meanwhile, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is better positioned financially. Benefits are issued a month in advance, ensuring their availability for October. “Their benefits are going to be there for October. And anyone who is eligible should feel free to apply,” says Gina Plata-Nino from the Food Research & Action Center.
Food banks remain operational and are preparing for increased demand from federal employees impacted by the shutdown. During the last shutdown, “we did have people in suits waiting at food banks,” Plata-Nino recalls. “Because there was no money coming in, and people had to pay their rent.”
She remains hopeful that it won’t come to that this time.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
