Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Shutdown hits home: N.C. suspending WIC

For those who might be applauding the slimming effects of the federal government shutdown, some harsh reality:  The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is temporarily halting benefits for a program that helps low-income pregnant women and new moms buy healthy food if  their families are facing "nutrition risk."  

From DHHS this afternoon: 

Due to the federal shutdown, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, also known as the WIC program, will discontinue issuing benefits at close of business on Tuesday, October 8, 2013.   Approximately 80 percent of eligible clients already have been issued food benefits for the month of October.  DHHS has determined that federal WIC funds available to the state will be sufficient to cover WIC vouchers already issued for the month of October, but not sufficient to issue additional vouchers.

WIC clients should keep their nutrition appointments and continue redeeming October vouchers and WIC vendors should continue normal operations to accept existing vouchers.  The Department will continue to monitor the daily availability of federal funds and will announce changes if they become necessary. 

"Some of our most vulnerable citizens, pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants and young children, will be affected by the interruption of WIC services due to the federal shutdown," said DHHS Secretary Aldona Wos. 
DHHS, in a letter today, also is telling some providers that it is issuing a Stop Work order on their contracts - meaning there are no funds to pay them, due to the shutdown.   

Meanwhile, moments ago, U.S. House Speaker called President Barack Obama's proposal of a short-term "clean resolution" to get the government funded again "unconditional surrender" for Republicans. 

 Peter St. Onge
at

5 comments:

  1. Wiley CoyoteOctober 8, 2013 at 5:15 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousOctober 8, 2013 at 5:17 PM

    This is great. Its about time illegal aliens, loose women and their welfare brats feel the pain of their lawbreaking and bad decisions.

    Let them all starve. Thats what they deserve.

    ReplyDelete
  3. bobcat99October 8, 2013 at 5:32 PM

    Middle class voters will not care about any of this until it affects them directly. Sad but true.

    ReplyDelete
  4. WillOctober 8, 2013 at 6:15 PM

    Fred Smith,

    While the stereotype you refer to does exist, they represent a very small percentage of the population that are on WIC. Most people that are on public assistance don't want to be and its not as if they are spending our tax dollars for a night out at Ruth Chris. The part of your statement that I find most disturbing is that you feel that children deserve to be impoverished and punished for the actions of their parents. While I whole heartedly agree with fiscal responsibility and personal accountability allowing women and children to go hungry due to a political squabble is a true embarrassment to our country.

    You truly are a an uninformed, hate filled and miserable person.

    ReplyDelete
  5. CharlotteObserverOctober 8, 2013 at 9:12 PM

    To make it easier to for Americans to get this very needed help, you can get this by filling a form in Arabic, Bosnian, Chinese, English, Farsi, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese.

    So no need to be able to speak English.

    ReplyDelete