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Federal programs provide children across the country and here in Rhode Island with the educational opportunities, health care, nutrition, child care, and economic security, they need to thrive. You may be wondering how a government shutdown will affect these programs and Rhode Island children and families.
First, let's cover what a government shutdown is.
- A shutdown happens when the federal government does not have a full-year spending bill or a "continuing resolution" to keep the government open.
- In a shutdown, the federal government stops non-essential operations until funding is approved by Congress. This causes interruptions to government services, causes funding uncertainty, and can have lasting economic consequences for communities.
We are watching developments closely for impacts on Rhode Island children and families. Here is a rundown of the effects we expect to see if this shutdown persists:
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Less Access to Healthy Food for Moms and Babies:
- In Rhode Island, more than 18,000 moms, babies and young children rely on WIC for fresh produce, formula, milk, and other healthy foods. WIC doesn’t have the reserves to last for long, so if the shutdown persists, many will be left without this critical support.
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A longer shutdown could also affect SNAP benefits and school meals that families rely on. In Rhode Island, 45,000 children rely on SNAP and about 70,000 children in the state participate in the school lunch program on a daily basis.
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Fewer Early Learning Opportunities: Head Start families will not experience immediate impacts from a short-term shutdown, but if the shutdown lasts for more than a month, Head Start programs that have grant cycles that begin on November 1 will likely experience disruptions. In Rhode Island, Head Start programs provide early childhood education to more than 1,400 young children in Burrillville, Central Falls, Coventry, Cranston, East Providence, Johnston, Middletown, Newport, North Kingstown, North Providence, Pawtucket, Providence, South Kingstown, Tiverton, Warwick, Warren, and Woonsocket.
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Threats to Our K-12 Education System: Some important school programs are at risk because of the government shutdown.
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A major concern is funding for school meal programs from the USDA. The shutdown could make it harder for schools to get paid back for the meals they give students.
- Normally, many types of federal education funding are provided in advance, which helps protect schools in the short term. But if the shutdown lasts longer, it could affect programs that support low-income students, students with disabilities, and career and technical education.
A federal shutdown is not good for kids or families. Congress needs to get to work on a bipartisan solution that ensures that children get the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive.
Take Action:
- We urge you to call the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Mike Johnson at (202) 225-4000 and express your concerns. He has the ability to end the shutdown.
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If you are experiencing hardship due to the shutdown, we urge you to call 211 to get connected to the resources you need in your community, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
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