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

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....