Food assistance programs threatened by the federal government shutdown will continue in North Carolina through October, the state Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday, despite earlier concerns that at least one might run out of money.
The nutrition program for women, infants, and children, or WIC, helps low-income pregnant, recently pregnant and breastfeeding women, and babies and children up to age 5.
Benefits are used for “WIC approved” items such as infant cereal, baby foods, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, peas and beans. WIC also offers breastfeeding support, nutrition education and medical referrals. About 262,000 women, babies, and children use WIC in North Carolina, according to DHHS.
When the shutdown began on Oct. 1, the National WIC Association estimated that funding could run out in a week or two. However, the White House said Tuesday it will use tariff revenue to keep WIC afloat.
The federal supplemental nutritional assistance program, or SNAP, is an even larger program.
About 1.4 million people in the state use SNAP to buy food, according to a DHHS press release. Beneficiaries must meet income limits and benefit amounts are based on household size.
The federal government provided October benefits for SNAP in September before the shutdown started, according to the nonprofit Federal Research and Action Center.
“Food and nutrition are foundational to good health and people should not have to worry about their families and communities going hungry,” state Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai said in a statement. “NCDHHS hopes for a quick resolution to the federal shutdown to ensure people in North Carolina are not at risk of losing critical food benefits.”
Congress failed to agree on a budget to fund the federal government after Sept. 30. Congressional Democrats want the bill to extend federal tax credits for people who buy insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Those tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025, resulting in dramatically higher premiums.
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