Georgia WIC could face funding shortfall if federal shutdown continues

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Published  October 31, 2025 2:53pm EDT
FOX 5 Atlanta

The Brief

    • Georgia health officials say WIC funding could run out by mid-November if the federal government shutdown continues.
    • The Georgia Department of Public Health said the program is still operating normally and urged participants to keep using their eWIC cards.
    • SNAP benefits were supposed to be paused until a federal judge ruled otherwise, and community organizations are stepping in to help affected families.

ATLANTA - The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) could run out of money before the end of November if the federal government shutdown continues, according to state officials.

What we know:

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) issued a statement Friday saying that WIC is still operating at normal levels for now — even though SNAP benefits have been paused beginning in November. Officials wanted to remind Georgians that the two programs are different.

"At this time, DPH is projecting that Georgia WIC will have sufficient funding to continue program operations through approximately mid-November. However, a break in WIC benefits could occur due to an extended federal government shutdown. DPH continues to evaluate options to extend WIC benefits as long as possible. WIC participants should continue to attend appointments and use the eWIC card at authorized Georgia WIC vendors until otherwise directed."

DPH said it will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves. WIC, which serves low-income pregnant women, new mothers and children under age 5, provides healthy foods, formula, nutrition education and support services through federal funding.

Dig deeper:

The federal shutdown was suppsed to pause SNAP funding, which distributes food benefits to about 1.4 million Georgians, but Friday afternoon, two federal judges ruled that the Trump administration must fund SNAP.

Childcare for children in Georgia's largest Head Start programs will continue, at least for 45 days. The YMCA of Metro Atlanta, Sheltering Arms and Easter Seals of North Georgia announced Monday they obtained a bridge loan through the Community Foundation of Metro Atlanta. The temporary relief will allow programs serving more than 5,800 children across the state to continue operating through at least early December.

What you can do:

Despite the federal ruling, SNAP recipients could still face delays receiving funds, so several Atlanta-area organizations and restaurants are stepping up to help families affected by the pause in SNAP benefits, offering free meals and food giveaways as the uncertainty continues.

The Source: Information in this article came from a press release by the Georgia DPH and past FOX 5 reporting. 

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