Boxes of sweet flakes, including general Mills, fill the store shelves on April 16, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Officials from Pennsylvania say that they have few options for supporting the federal food aid programs, in which it is expected to run out of money quickly if the federal government closes deeper until October.
. The program of women, infants and children (so) could see how his financing dried up this weekNo special appropriation of the US Department of Agriculture or the Federal Budget Resolution. According to the Health Department, Pennsylvania’s estimates last about two weeks earlier.
Almost 186,000 Pennsylvania They have been saved to so from July.
According to program administrators at Commonwealth on Beentents, therefore, they would probably not notice their benefits, unless closing and budget-part budget because they receive financial assistance in thirty-month increases.
“Today, if the customer enters our office, we charge three months of benefits to his card,” said Melissa Bishop, director for the implementation and development of Wic at the Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania.
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Bishop noticed that customers are asking if their cards will operate in a grocery store, or or organizations such as the Family Health Council are still providing a number of services. In addition to money for groceries, including nutritional education, breastfeeding support, health tests, pumps for women and referrals to medical service providers and other social services agencies.
“We try to overtake, saying that we are still open, store your meetings and use the benefits of food in a grocery store,” she said. “We just don’t want people to sit there for the benefit of their card, thinking that they can’t use it when they can absolutely.”
According to the Food Food Research and Action Center, the Non -Profit organization, which is on $ 150 million reserved by WIC – an equivalent week or two for the program throughout the country.
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After issuing state financing, they can utilize their own money for so and expect a return after closing. Color For example, legislators have appropriated money to fill the gap.
But in the Commonwealth, navigating the funds is more challenging because The closure is applied to the state budget deadlock in the fourth month.
The program was financed at $ 278 million in Pennsylvania in the last financial year, According to the budget of the Health Department.
. Pennsylvania Capital-Star He asked the office of the Health Department and Governor Josh Shapiro about brief -term financing options that the administration could have, for example, whether the announcement of an emergency in public health cases would be possible to ensure flexibility in the service of typical processes and procedures.
“In this case, the community of nations is not able to announce emergency public health and draw additional funds for so, nor can we use dollars in the Rainy Day fund without a general assembly,” wrote spokesman for the Department Mark O’Neill We -Mail. “We expect the further direction of USDA because it remains unclear whether the services will continue without additional activities at federal level.”
In response to the questions Capital-Star About their emergency fund and what the countries advise, the Federal Department of Agriculture issued a statement that says: “The closing of the democrat will cause real damage to American farmers, ranks and rural communities. President Trump explained thanks to his support HR 5371 that he wants to keep the open government and supported those who feed, fuel, fuel, fuel, fuel, fuel and fuel, fuel seductors. “
The budget impasse in Pennsylvania also affected the state’s ability to utilize federal money from the compartment that finance other health and nutrition programs.
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How social services agencies can remain open in this financing environment will differ.
Most of over 100 organizations responding to A survey conducted by Pennsylvania Association of Nonfits Expected meetings with cash flows, lack of emergency funds or both until the end of October, if he has not yet done so. And dozens have reported planning or already initiated exemptions, wage cuts and other staff changes.
Customers can be directed to another office for some services as transmitted agencies and share resources to get, said Tricia Fonzi, president and operational director of the Family Health Council.
During the federal closure in 2019, its organization – which also manages programs financed by the Federal Administration of Health and Services (HRSA), Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, as well as the state and federal departments of health and human services – maintained the open door.
“This is the same textbook that we now use until we hear differently. Because we didn’t really receive any tips,” said Fonzi.
It is an optimist that the organization will survive this storm similarly – and that money will flow. At the same time, Fonzi and Bishop expected an escalate in entries to the program due to The beginning of modern working requirements and other rules regarding the Additional Nutrition and Help Program (SNAP) – which is now also in the face of the financial crisis in the face of closing the federal government.
Fonzi, O’Neil and others confirmed the stress caused by such high uncertainty.
The National Wic Association said in a press release that the closing date at the beginning of the financial year “exposes to the risk of a rapid lack of funds.”
This is because the countries have less money to go to the program.
“This failure unnecessarily threatens the health and nutrition of millions of pregnant women, new mothers, infants and young children who rely on so” – he said. “The lack of rapid re -opening of the government may cause that directors are in a terrible position of trying to manage their programs with insufficient funds.”
