Women and children are at risk of going hungry. Congress must act now to fully fund food program.

As we enter the new year, one important deadline is rapidly approaching. January 19th, Congress must vote again to pass the federal budget or risk a partial shutdown. Among the agencies and programs at risk are the Department of Agriculture's Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is noticeable. nearly 7 million Pregnant women, new mothers and young children rely on it for nutritional and medical support.

Congress must approve additional funding for WIC to ensure that women and young children are not denied one of their most basic needs. If policymakers fail to do so, 2 million Eligible women and young children may be denied benefits or placed on waiting lists due to lack of funds. This will disproportionately affect black and Hispanic families.

One of the richest country In the world, largest economic zone It is unacceptable for any country's leaders to consider starving hundreds of thousands of young children. We expect our leaders to look beyond partisan lines and budget sheets and to help their constituents step up and meet their families' most basic needs. It's time to realize that.

After years of rampant inflation and economic hardship, low-income households are struggling to make ends meet. According to the latest data, in 2022, 12.8% US households (17 million) were food insecure at some point. However, the bill proposed by some members reduce funds Reduces the monthly fruit and vegetable benefit for children ages 1 to 4 for WIC from $25 to $11, despite expected higher food prices. stay high this year. This would also lead to a 70 percent reduction in funding for fruits and vegetables for postpartum and breastfeeding women. There's never a good time to deprive families of nutrition, but now is a very bad time to deprive them of nutritional support as grocery costs and the Consumer Price Index continue to rise.

WIC is especially important for families with young children. For example, this program is currently available. Approximately half of all infants Born in the United States, participants receive monthly food assistance to supplement their diets with specific nutrients such as cereals, fruits, and vegetables. In addition, WIC provides access to health screenings and referrals for pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, as well as nutrition education for families. Without additional WIC funding, states could be forced to deny funding to eligible women and infants.

As the child of a single working mother, I know firsthand how essential WIC benefits are and how great a risk they are for those who can't afford food. Knowing there was a federal assistance program to rely on provided much-needed relief to my mother, who struggled to make ends meet and keep me healthy, happy, and fed, all at the expense of much of her own. I got a feeling. Without this critical support, I don't know if I would be here today. It would be devastating if our leaders failed to commit to supporting families in need.

This is part of the reason world breadSince 1978, the Christian advocacy organization I work for has pushed to strengthen WIC by making members of Congress aware of its value.

Congress has fully funded WIC on a bipartisan basis for more than 25 years. Our leaders need to remember why we have these programs in the first place: to provide proper care and nutrition for mothers and young children. They can address the root causes of budget problems without restricting access to healthy, affordable food in the most vulnerable communities. Simply put, applying additional WIC funds can be the difference between having enough to feed your family or not. We need to let them know that failing to do this means failing thousands of pregnant women and young children at a critical stage in their parents' and children's development.

Dr. Heather Taylor is the managing director of Bread for the World, a Christian advocacy group that calls on American decision makers to do everything in their power to pursue a world free of hunger. There is. Heather oversees all of Bread's public policy and program departments and operations.