Warning Issued on Food Benefits for Women, Children If Government Shutdown Persists

A group called on the federal government to provide $300 million to a support program for women and children starting Nov. 1.

Baby food is offered for sale at a grocery store in Chicago, Ill., on Feb. 13, 2024. Scott Olson/Getty Images

A nonprofit group representing nutrition and health service providers warned on Oct. 21 that millions of people enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) may not receive food aid in November as the government shutdown entered its fourth week.

The National WIC Association said in a statement that millions of U.S. families could have their access to the WIC program cut off as early as Nov. 1 due to the shutdown unless the federal government provides emergency relief.

WIC is a federal assistance program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides support for low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and children under age 5. State officials recently warned that the shutdown, which began on Oct. 1, could jeopardize funding not only for WIC but also for the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP or food stamps.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration provided $300 million in what it said was tariff-related revenue to keep the program running amid the shutdown through October.

The National WIC Association said that an additional $300 million is needed to sustain the program’s operations for the first two weeks of November.

“WIC is a lifeline for nearly 7 million pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and young children. Even short-term disruption to WIC’s healthy food benefits, lactation support, nutrition education, screenings, and referrals can have long-term negative impacts on families,” National WIC Association President Georgia Machell said.

If no funding is provided for the first two weeks of November, state WIC agencies might be forced to take “drastic measures that prevent families from accessing the services they need, such as halting food benefits,” she said, adding that it would “jeopardize the health and nutrition of millions” of women and children.

In an Oct. 7 post on X, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the Trump administration came up with a solution to use tariff revenues to keep WIC funded.

Multiple states have warned that SNAP benefits could also run out starting on Nov. 1 if the shutdown persists. Some states have said that the lapse in funding has forced officials to delay the issuance of benefits approved on or after Oct. 16.

The U.S. Capitol building during the government shutdown in Washington on Oct. 23, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

The government has been shut down since Oct. 1, after Republicans and Democrats in Congress failed to pass a bill to continue funding the government. Congressional Democrats want to reverse cuts to Medicaid that were passed earlier this year. They also want to extend subsidies that cut the cost of Affordable Care Act insurance plans, which cover more than 24 million Americans.

Republicans say that any talks on health care should come after the government is reopened. As of Thursday, neither political party appeared to be making headway on coming up with a deal, after the Senate failed for a 12th time to end the shutdown on Wednesday.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said that she has been talking to lawmakers since the shutdown began, trying to find areas of compromise.

On Tuesday, she suggested that Congress could also look at extending the enrollment dates for the Affordable Care Act since Congress is stalled on the subsidies.

“These costs are going to affect all of us, and it’s going to affect our health care system,” she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.