LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Effective on Oct. 9, the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada's WIC Program is suspended due to the federal government shutdown.
This suspension affects WIC services across all 28 federally-recognized tribal communities in Nevada and those served by the Tribal WIC offices in Reno, Elko, and Las Vegas.
During the program suspension, all Tribal WIC offices will be closed, no benefits will be issued, and program staff won't be available to provide assistance.
All existing appointments will be rescheduled once funding is restored.
“ITCN WIC serves hundreds of tribal and non-tribal families across Nevada who rely on WIC to provide nutritious foods, breastfeeding support, and nutrition education,” said Blanca Plascencia-Reyna, MPH, ITCN WIC Program Director.
“Our team is deeply saddened by this interruption and the impact it will have on families, especially those living in rural and tribal communities where food access is already limited. We remain hopeful that funding will be restored quickly so we can resume serving our families.”
This suspension comes as the federal government shutdown enters its ninth day, with senators still unable to reach an agreement on healthcare funding. The effects are already being felt at airports nationwide as staffing shortages are causing delays in air travel.
We do want to clarify this is a separate program from Nevada WIC, which is still providing services but is also at risk due to the government shutdown.
We're keeping up with how this ongoing shutdown affects you. You can find that full breakdown below:
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