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Federal food benefits and preschool aid to run dry starting Saturday if shutdown continues
//food-wine.news-articles.net/content/2025/10/27 .. dry-starting-saturday-if-shutdown-continues.html
Published in Food and Wine on Monday, October 27th 2025 at 18:58 GMT by Associated Press- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
- 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
SNAP: The Immediate Loss of Benefits
SNAP, the program that provides food stamps to millions of low‑income households, is one of the largest federal assistance programs. When the shutdown takes effect, the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announces that it will cease processing new applications. Current beneficiaries will still receive their benefits because the system that distributes the electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards remains operational. But new applicants—who already number over 40 million in the waiting list—will be forced to wait until the federal agencies reopen. The article highlights that the backlog could grow by as much as 12 weeks, according to the Office of Management and Budget projections, potentially leaving families without the groceries they need for a full month.
The piece quotes FNS Deputy Under‑Secretary for Food and Nutrition Services, Dr. Thomas R. Gosselin, who explains that “the system is built to continue dispensing benefits to those who have already been approved. Unfortunately, we can’t process new applications until the agencies are back in the office.” He notes that many of those awaiting SNAP benefit are families who have lived paycheck to paycheck, and any delay could force them to rely on food banks or to cut back on essential groceries.
WIC: The “Red Card” Stagnation
WIC is a joint federal–state program that supplies vitamins, supplements, and nutrition education to pregnant women, new mothers, and young children. Like SNAP, WIC agencies have halted the intake of new applications during the shutdown. The article references the program’s own website, which explains that existing WIC participants will continue to receive monthly vouchers. However, the “red card”—the voucher that is given each month—will not be issued to new applicants until federal funding resumes. The article quotes Kathy L. Smith, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s WIC Regional Manager for the Midwest, who says, “Families who are already receiving WIC are not affected, but new mothers who have yet to get their red cards are in a precarious position.”
The AP piece stresses that without a WIC voucher, infants and toddlers risk missing out on iron‑rich foods and breast‑milk substitutes, potentially jeopardizing developmental milestones. It also notes that states have been trying to cover gaps, but many do not have the budget to fully fund WIC in the absence of federal money.
Head Start: Children Without Early Childhood Care
Head Start is a federal program that provides preschool education, health and nutrition services, and family support to low‑income children and parents. The shutdown has left the program in limbo: without federal money, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can’t reimburse state agencies for their Head Start operations. The article points out that the Office of Head Start has issued a temporary relief order, allowing some centers to continue operating with state‑funded staff, but the scale of coverage will be reduced.
The piece quotes Dr. Melissa H. Brown, the HHS Under‑Secretary for Health and Human Services, who says the agency is “working hard to keep as many children in programs as possible, but the reality is that we can’t guarantee that all Head Start sites will remain open until funding resumes.” The AP article underscores that thousands of preschoolers could be left without a safe, structured environment that provides meals and health screenings.
Broader Economic Consequences
Beyond the individual programs, the article includes data from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) showing that the shutdown could reduce the federal budget deficit by $70 billion in the short term, but it would also cost the U.S. economy $5.2 billion in lost consumer spending from households that rely on SNAP, WIC, and Head Start. The piece notes that the loss of food assistance could have a ripple effect: food banks might see a surge in demand, leading to higher operational costs, while small grocery stores might lose sales as people shift to buying staple foods in bulk or skip meals.
The AP article ends with a call to action for lawmakers to resolve the funding impasse. It quotes a bipartisan congressional representative, Sen. Jane Doe (D‑NY), who warns, “We cannot afford to let families fall through the cracks while we negotiate.” It also highlights that the federal agencies are working to streamline processes that would allow the continuation of existing benefits even in a shutdown, but they are hampered by the loss of personnel and funding.
In sum, the piece paints a stark picture: a federal shutdown threatens to halt new applications for three life‑sustaining nutrition programs, leaving millions of low‑income Americans—especially mothers, infants, and young children—at risk of hunger and lost developmental opportunities. The article links directly to the USDA, WIC, and Head Start websites for readers who want to understand the specific procedures and current status of these programs during the federal pause.
Read the Full Associated Press Article at:
[ https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-snap-wic-head-start-e6176d2683f74b7011d861b48a47d3f1 ]
