Nutrition aid for new parents at risk from federal shutdown : NPR

Federal closure will not affect the benefits of large programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and social security. But one of the first things to get a blow is help in nutrition, on which many pregnant women and new parents depend.

It was important for Lucia Graves, who found out that she was pregnant back in March 2020, just a few days before the world closed for the Covid-19 pandemic. At that time she was a waitress and financially.

“So, I love:“ Oh my God. I have this child on the way, and now I have no work, ”she says.

Graves lives in Lebanon, North Carolina, she had complications on pregnancy, her daughter was born a month earlier, and after she soon fed her chest, her milk was dried. This was a great relief when a social worker said that Graves had the right to a special additional food program for women, babies and children, which is known as WIC.

“They were able to cover the children's formula that is huge,” she says. “They gave us 10 or 12 cans each [month]This field still does not cover everything that my child needs, but it covered a lot. ”

WIC also provides support for breastfeeding, food consulting and serves children under 5 years of age. This Almost 7 million peopleIncluding almost half of all children born in the United States

Graves is now engaged, and her groom also has a little daughter. Both girls have the right for $ 26 a month for fruits and vegetables, as well as a list of products approved by WIC. If this ends, she says that it would be harder to eat healthy and make ends meet.

“Prices for milk, egg prices, bread prices. All these things are like astronomical, ”she says. “So it would be a huge blow for us.”

This blow can occur much earlier than in the last closure of the government, in 2018. This is because this one falls right at the beginning of the federal financial year. Since the Congress has not yet accepted a new budget, new money will not appear for agencies.

“We have a really short runway here before we reach a real crisis in software operations,” says Nell Menephi Libei from the National Association of WIC. She hopes this take -off -landing strip for about two weeks.

According to her, money in order to save everything that happens for so much time coming from the Fund of Unforeseen circumstances that remains from the last year’s budget and discounts from Formula Formula. Then the states will have to fill the gap. “And there will also be some differences between states, because they may have various resources at hand,” she says.

The day before the stop Colorado lawmakers are approved 7.5 million dollars to finance WIC in their staff. The last time the government was closed, the States received compensation for these expenses.

Studies show WIC improves the results of pregnancy and childbirth, Children's development And their diet throughout life, all of which reduces healthcare costs. But if the shutdown is pulled out, Menefi-Libe says that some WIC offices will have to sort. This will mean the priority of women who are pregnant and breastfeeding, and are turned away by preschool children.

“If people turn away, you do not spin them,” she says. “This is an opportunity to cover your family at these really critical and vulnerable stages of life. And the hole of someone means losing the opportunity for a healthy future for the child. ”

In addition to WIC, a much larger food aid program in the country is a program for additional assistance in the field of power, or SNAP – in the best form. This is due to the fact that cards similar to debit are loaded in advance for the purchase of food in advance.

“Their advantages will be there in October. And anyone who has the right should not be shy to apply, ”Gina Plato-Nino says from the Center for Research and Actions.

Food banks are also still open and are prepared for greater demand by federal contractors and workers who are currently walking or forced to work without payment.

During the last closure, “we had people in costumes awaiting in food banks,” says Nino's payment. “Because there was no money, and people had to pay a rent.”

She hopes that this will not reach this time.