Read more here: www.cbpp.org/blog/the-adm...

States must do all they can to keep #WIC operating as usual—including using their own funds—
and let participants and eligible families know, so they won’t miss out on WIC’s healthy foods, vital benefits, and the longer-term health improvements associated with participating.

4️⃣ USDA clarified that states may use their own funds to continue providing #WIC benefits & services.

3️⃣USDA noted that staff are needed to recover & reallocate prior year #WIC funds, which implies those funds will be distributed.

2️⃣USDA intends to distribute #WIC’s $150 million contingency fund to cover food benefits.

1️⃣USDA stated that #WIC operations, benefits & services may continue during a shutdown as resources permit.

In USDA’s department-wide shutdown plan released yesterday and in #WIC-specific guidance issued today, they addressed 4 important points: www.usda.gov/sites/defaul...

To ensure the healthy foods & vital services WIC provides aren’t disrupted & to reassure families that they can still enroll in WIC & use their benefits, USDA should issue additional guidance ASAP that includes these reassurances.

But there’s more USDA can and should do, including immediately distributing #WIC’s $150 million contingency fund & assuring states they can eventually replenish state coffers if they use state funds to keep WIC fully open once federal funds run out.
www.cbpp.org/blog/the-adm...

This implies that USDA will recover and reallocate to states FY25 funds that haven’t yet been spent. This is one of the important steps they can take to keep #WIC operating as usual as long as possible.

It also notes that federal staff will be needed because “WIC has the ability to recover and reallocate unused grant award funds from the previous fiscal year.”

Read more here: www.cbpp.org/blog/the-adm...

It’s also vital to ensure these families receive the funding intended for them by including in any bipartisan funding agreement enforceable measures to prevent the Trump Admin from unilaterally & illegally impounding funds or using partisan processes to rescind funding.

If there is a funding lapse, taking these steps will be critical to ensure that low-income families don’t lose the nutritious foods and vital services #WIC provides and to avoid confusing families into mistakenly believing they can’t enroll or use their benefits.