Connecticut has dipped into its reserves to ensure that the federal government shutdown does not affect residents who receive WIC, the federally funded supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children.
The state is spending approximately $200,000 per day to maintain the program for the 52,000 state residents, including 30,000 children, who receive WIC benefits, Gov. Ned Lamont stated on Wednesday.
“If you are a new mom, you’ve got kids under the age of five, an infant, we will take care of you, and the WIC program will continue,” Lamont said. “And we will make sure it continues until the federal government gets its act together.”
Connecticut has drawn on its substantial rainy-day fund to maintain WIC benefits during the federal government shutdown.
“The WIC program has been cut off in many other states or is threatened to be cut off. Not Connecticut, we are going to keep it going for these young families,” said Lamont.
He said the state expects it will be reimbursed by the federal government when the shutdown ends, but that’s not yet certain.
