The Department of Public Health briefed the Appropriations Committee on WIC operations and the impact of the federal shutdown. Marcia (Marsha) Pesalano, state WIC director, and DPH staff told the committee that WIC enrollment has increased roughly 20% since 2020 and that the program currently serves about 52,000 participants (through July). Director Pesalano said much of that increase is the result of outreach, media campaigns and continued hybrid service delivery models introduced during the pandemic.

Funding and short-term outlook: WIC is 100% federally funded, primarily through USDA Food and Nutrition Service. DPH reported it received two formula-rebate payments from its infant-formula contract and a USDA installment that collectively project food and nutrition-administration funding through about Nov. 15 under current redemption patterns. DPHs finance summary showed FY25 food allocations, formula rebates and administration allowances, with an anticipated closeout after final audits in February 2026.

Operational details: DPH contracts with nine local WIC agencies that operate 22 full-time sites and multiple part-time locations; SDE, DSS and local partners assist outreach. Materials and services are provided in multiple languages; Spanish is the most common non-English language, with other translations as needed. WIC participants receive an electronic WIC (eWIC) card for purchases; cards are generally issued in the child or household cardholders name depending on local designations.

Contingencies and interagency coordination: DPH said the governors commitment to backfill WIC has not yet been needed. The agency is tracking daily redemption activity and said it would inform the committee if the situation changed. Committee members requested details about block grants and other federal funding lines the department administers; DPH identified the maternal-child health and public-health-services block grants as material items requiring monitoring.

Ending note: DPH said WIC and most daily operations were covered through current federal installments and vendor rebates for now, but that the department would report back if the shutdown duration changes the financial outlook.