“It’s really, in many ways, often a gateway program for young families in not only getting connected with benefits but also to other programs and services in their community that could be beneficial to them at that stage in their life and in their family,” said Kate Franken, the board chair of the National WIC Association, which represents provider agencies.
But WIC recipients may soon see significant cuts, or even lose these all-important benefits, if Congress does not take quick action to approve additional funding for the program. With the end of the fiscal year on September 30, WIC will need higher funding than current levels in order to maintain its rolls and benefits.
In recent years, more families have signed up for the program, in part due to expansions that occurred at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. So the cost for maintaining WIC has increased. Last week, the Biden administration asked Congress to include $1.4 billion in emergency spending for WIC as part of any short-term continuing resolution, or C.R., to extend government funding before a September 30 deadline. In a request to Congress, the Office of Management and Budget said that continuing funding for WIC at current levels in a C.R. would be insufficient, given increased food costs, higher benefit amounts, and greater participation.