The U.S. government shutdown on Oct.1 created uncertainty for recipients of funding from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,Infants and Children (WIC).
WIC provides baby formula, healthy food, breastfeeding support, and nutrition education for eligible mothers and children under five. During a government shutdown, discretionary spending programs like WIC operate off of available funds until Congress appropriates money for the next fiscal year.All california WIC agencies are currently “operating as normal,” according to Sarah Diaz, media and policy coordinator for the California WIC Association (CWA), a private nonprofit that advocates for California’s 83 local WIC agencies and the program’s roughly 1 million monthly participants.
“We understand the uncertainty families may feel, but WIC is open to serve all families in need, including new enrollments,” said Vivian Wong, Santa Clara County’s WIC program director. “It’s important that WIC families continue to use the benefits and continue attending appointments.”
Summer Wahab ’28 lives on campus with her four-year-old son and two daughters, aged five and 13. Originally from San Francisco, Wahab transferred to Stanford this quarter.
“I’m worried about my family. I’m worried about so many other families that are going to be affected by this,” Wahab said.
A single mother, Wahab receives benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), california Work Prospect and Duty to Kids (CalWORKs), and Medi-Cal.She said she feels the effects of the shutdown on her family’s food security.
“I recently got emails from the state regarding my benefits, saying that in November, there will most likely be a [SNAP] cut,” Wahab, 31, said. “It’s what helps feed my kids, helps with bills and provides for them while I get a degree.”
In the past, wahab received WIC benefits that gave her access to fruit, vegetables, eggs, and milk.Along with a monthly payment from SNAP for groceries, she said WIC helped her “make ends meet every month for food.”
Because Congress failed to pass a budget by Oct. 1 for fiscal year 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) distributed a $150 million contingency fund for WIC during the first week of the shutdown.
states can also spend forward funds – up to 3% of unused funds from the previous budget period that can carry over into the next fiscal year. Diaz added that states have requested early rebates from contracts with infant formula manufacturers.”Some state governments have committed to temporarily providing WIC funding to keep WIC open, assuming that they’ll be reimbursed by USDA,” she said. “California hasn’t done that yet. Hopefully they won’t need to.”
On Oct. 9, the Trump administration infused $300 million of unspent ta
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