Federal shutdown impacts on local public health

||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||

The federal government shutdown is affecting the public health services San Juan County can provide. At the Department of Health & Community Services (HCS), we’re doing everything we can to continue offering essential services and to support the individuals and families who rely on us. We are working closely with our State and local partners to minimize disruptions caused by the shutdown. One of the areas we’ve seen an immediate impact is the Washington’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, which we operate through three local offices. This press release outlines the effects we’re seeing now and what a longer shutdown could mean for our community.

Immediate Impacts

WIC is a vital program that provides healthy food and nutrition support to more than 212,000 Washington residents every year. Here in San Juan County, we serve over 170 participants, including infants, children under 5, and pregnant people. Currently, the remaining funding available in Washington state is limited to covering food benefits for participants. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) estimates that this funding will last until the end of October, before the program could face a complete closure.

Please note, WIC is asking participants to continue to use their benefits as usual. If any changes to services become necessary, participants will be notified directly. The health and well-being of every WIC participant is our top priority, and we are watching the situation closely.

Because current funding only covers food benefits, there is no funding available for program administration or staff time. Our staff who manage the WIC program and provide direct services to participants are fully or partially funded by federal dollars. Despite our efforts to find alternative funding sources, the absence of federal funds has made it necessary to implement a temporary reduction in force over the next several weeks. Unfortunately, this means our capacity to provide direct WIC services for our community will be affected until federal funding is restored.  

Effective immediately, we have suspended our 24/7 Breastfeeding Support Hotline. We will continue to see our WIC participants through Oct. 17, 2025. However, if federal funding is not restored to WIC by Oct. 17, we will then need to temporarily close the SJC WIC offices until federal funding is restored. We sincerely hope that the federal government reopens soon and that full funding for WIC services and staff is restored as quickly as possible.

If the Federal Shutdown Continues

WIC is a lifeline for families here in the islands, across Washington state, and nationwide. More than just food benefits, WIC provides wraparound support for pregnant people, new and breastfeeding parents, and children under 5 years old. If our WIC clinics are forced to close due to the lack of federal funding, families in our community may lose or have limited access to:

• Healthy foods;
• Health screenings and referrals;
• Breast and chest feeding support; and
• Nutrition education.

We recognize how vital these services are and remain committed to doing everything we can to support families during this uncertain time.

We want to acknowledge and have seen media reports of potential plans to preserve WIC programming with tariff funding. However, there have been no official updates from FNS (Food and Nutrition Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture) at this time. If WIC food benefit funds run out, local families could be at greater risk of food insecurity. Our staff are working hard to connect participants to other community resources that may be available, but we also recognize this may place added strain on those support systems. We are in the process of working to find additional resources and supports for families if the federal government shutdown continues past Friday, Oct. 17, 2025.

If the federal government shutdown continues beyond three weeks, we may start to see broader impacts on other state agencies, which could affect other local organizations and programs. We are working closely with our state-level partners to better understand where those impacts might occur and how they could impact other HCS programs and services.  

We are closely monitoring the changing federal funding landscape and will continue to be flexible and responsive to serve our community. As your local public health team, we will continue to stay vigilant and informed, advocate for our community, and remain committed to the health and well-being of all residents of San Juan County.

If you have any questions about the federal government shutdown’s impacts on local public health, we kindly ask that you email us at hcs@sanjuancountywa.gov. This allows our team to respond thoughtfully and helps reduce the volume of calls to our front office, ensuring everyone receives the support they need.  

Relevant URLs:

• Federal shutdown jeopardizes critical support for infants, children, and pregnant people | DOH
• San Juan County Health & Community Services

About San Juan County’s Department of Health & Community Services    

San Juan County’s Department of Health & Community Services is responsible for community and environmental health, mental health and substance abuse programs, senior services, affordable housing projects, and more. The department has staff and offices on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Islands. For more information about San Juan County’s Department of Health & Community Services, visit www.sanjuancountywa.gov/1777/Health-Community-Services.