Arkansas’ Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program remains fully operational during the federal shutdown that began Oct. 1, but its funding could run out by mid-November, state Health Department officials said Thursday.
Last week, state Health Department Chief of Staff Don Adams told the State Board of Health that WIC is operating on leftover funds from the previous fiscal year, spending about $5 million monthly to serve more than 66,000 Arkansans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently redirected $300 million to sustain WIC nationally through October, but Adams warned state funds are “finite.”
Meanwhile, more than 222,000 Arkansans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may face benefit delays as the shutdown drags on. The USDA said Friday that SNAP’s $6 billion contingency fund falls $3 billion short of covering November benefits for more than 42 million Americans.
A new USDA memo reversed the agency’s earlier plan to use the fund during the shutdown, saying it cannot legally do so and that states will not be reimbursed if they cover costs themselves. Even if Congress ends the 27-day shutdown soon, officials have warned that SNAP payments could still be delayed due to processing backlogs.
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