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http://www.classwarfareexists.com/33-states-will-run-out-of-funding-for-wic-by-end-of-october/

33 States Will Run Out of Funding For WIC by End of October

Posted by icarus on 05 Oct 2013 / 0 Comment

The video above is really powerful and this came from a fan at our Facebook page.

“I don’t know how I’m going to feed my kids” was a status update that I saw the day after the shutdown started. My friend <redacted> said that her WIC benefits had been suspended until after the shutdown was over. MSNBC reported that 9 million people would be affected by the federal cuts to the WIC programs across the United States. With so much ignorance floating around the TV and the internet, I took it upon myself to find out what was really going on.

I contacted each state in the union’s capital cities to find out how the shutdown was affecting their programs. Some were more than willing to talk and some rude, and very short about what is happening to their clients right now. Kathy, the director of the WIC program in Arkansas was more than happy to speak to me, even tearing up while she explained their program would be funded on a week to week basis after Friday, Oct. 4th.

At least 33 states will run out of funding for WIC by the end of October unless the government shutdown ends; many of these states had already stopped funding for the program up until the recent action by the Department of Agriculture to protect these vulnerable children and mothers.

WIC

Here is the breakdown by state:

Alabama: still in operation through Oct…unsure about funding for Sept.
Alaska: *I was unable to talk to anyone there. I was hung up on 15 times*
Arizona: fully operating at this time
Arkansas: Temporarily funded by the USDA through the end of the current week. After this week they will find out on a week to week basis if food vouchers will be available through Oct.
California: Good through Oct; however, expecting delays
Colorado: Appointments discontinued through the duration of Oct. Vouchers already received can be used. Program discontinued until the end of the shut down.
Connecticut: WIC will NOT be funded through Oct. They are referring their clients to community resources and food banks
Delaware: Funding will be cut at the end of the week. (20,000 clients)
Florida: Funding will be cut at the end of the week
Georgia: WIC has ceased being funded since Oct. 1
Hawaii: No funding
Idaho: Funded through this week, unsure about the future
Illinois: currently funded through state of IL, until further notice.
Indiana: No funding
Iowa: Vouchers already sent are valid. No more will be sent. No more funding.
Kansas: Currently funded but unsure about the future
Kentucky: Currently funded but unsure about the future
Louisiana: Currently funded, not taking new applications
Maine: No funding ( 26,000 clients)
Maryland: Funding only available for 2 weeks
Massachusetts: Currently funded but expected to stop soon
Michigan: Currently funded through the next 2 weeks ( 200,000 clients)
Minnesota: Currently funded through 2 weeks
Mississippi: No funding
Missouri: funding through the week, unlikely longer
Montana: Fully funded for the foreseeable future
Nebraska: Funded through Oct
Nevada: fully funded for the foreseeable future
New Hampshire: Funded through this week only (10,000 clients)
New Jersey: No funding
New Mexico: Currently funded, uncertain about the future
New York: Currently funded, uncertain about the future
North Carolina: Funded for the next two weeks only (264,000 clients)
North Dakota: No funding ( 23,000 clients)
Ohio: Funded through Oct.
Oklahoma: Funded for two weeks
Oregon: Funded through Oct.
Pennsylvania: currently funded for the foreseeable future
Rhode Island: Currently funded for the foreseeable future
South Carolina: Funding available until Oct.15
South Dakota: Currently funded, uncertain about the future
Tennessee: Funded through Oct. 10
Texas: currently funded, uncertain about the future
Utah: currently funded, unclear for how long. No new applicants ( 60,000 clients)
Vermont: Funded for 2 weeks only
Virginia: No funding from federal, being taken over by the state for now
Washington: Currently funded for the foreseeable future
West Virginia: Currently funded for the foreseeable future
Wisconsin: No funding
Wyoming: No funding

(Please bear in mind, this is the information provided by the capital city of each state. I have recommended that all those on WIC call their local offices)

It’s staggering isn’t it? How can members of the House sleep at night knowing that because they can’t do their jobs that pregnant women and children are going without care and food? It upset me because, I am the mother of a 1 year old little girl. No, I am not on the WIC program in my state; however, I know how it feels to struggle with money, sometimes deciding on what bills won’t get paid so we could buy groceries.

After gathering all this information a friend and I created a Facebook page to link those in need and those who can donate formula/baby food across the nation: http://www.facebook.com/nobabygetsleftbehind

And there is this recent news on WIC HERE; the Department of Agriculture is taking some steps despite the government shutdown.

Washington’s Women, Infants, and Children food and nutrition program has received funding to continue services through October despite the federal government shutdown. Federal funding was stalled on Oct. 1, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture has reallocated funding to cover program costs for the rest of the month.

On day one of the shutdown the Washington Department of Health reported WIC only had enough remaining funds to operate the program statewide until Oct. 9. Now, benefits should be covered until Nov. 1.

If the federal government shutdown continues through this month, USDA will not have funding to re-allocate for services in November, and Washington WIC may have to cease operations. State health officials are working on a contingency plan in case the shutdown does not end by Nov.1.

And while the Republican forced shutdown has created this mess – at least Republican Tom Cotton (R-AR) urged House Republicans to extend funding for WIC yesterday on the House floor.

forgive the ignorant canadian. but what is the WIC program?

WIC is a supplemental food program for women, infants, and children ~ if funding stops, it will be devastating for [literally] millions ~ and for too many, might be fatal ~

Sooz

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.

Without WIC it's belt-tightening times for babies. It will make babies more independent of the government teats. Just as the Republican Jesus intended.

“We’re very excited,” said Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.). “It’s exactly what we wanted, and we got it.”

Erick Erickson at RedState:
In the meantime, life will go on. Americans will see they really can get along without Washington’s constant, daily interference in their lives.

American Thinker: “…the public is learning that most of the federal government employees are not essential, and that we can get along fine with a smaller government.”

Bob Owens, formerly of Confederate Yankee, now of Bearing Arms, tweeted that: “There is no government #shutdown. There are, however, a lot of people in govt terrified that you might discover you don’t need them.”

Wizbang proclaims: “Worried about a government shutdown? Don’t be. It won’t affect you much.”

This is going way past funny. History will judge us, our society, for this. The richest nation in the world cannot feed it's poor and hungry children. This should be a unanimous country wide HUMILIATION.

I'm going to have to stop reading the news for a while. i''m really feeling sick.

Makes a rather clear differentiation between richest and greatest, eh?