COCONINO COUNTY — WIC recipients that rely on the Arizona Department of Health Services WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program will not go hungry in Coconino County due to the federal government shutdown.
“Good nutrition in the first years of life provides the foundation for a lifetime of health and learning,” said Patrice Hortsman, District 1 Supervisor and Board Chair. “The WIC program is vital for our most vulnerable residents and I’m proud that Coconino County can offer this temporary assistance.”
WIC is a federal program that provides healthy food for low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and young children. About 1,900 children in Coconino County count on WIC for daily nutrition.
The Board of Supervisor approved funding to address the emergency shortfall of federal funds from the $15 million stability fund established during the 2026 budget adoption. This is the first use of the stability fund which sets aside funds for natural disaster response, cash flow coverage and service continuation in the event of federal, state or local funding reductions.
The first funding approval not to exceed $400,000 covers all WIC recipients for the months of November and December to ensure that our youngest residents and mothers in need have the nutrition required to thrive. This includes pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, postpartum women and children through the age of four.
The second funding approval provides wages and benefits for seven Coconino County Health and Human Services employees that implement the WIC program not to exceed $100,000 from Nov. 15, 2025 through Jan. 2, 2026.
An agreement between Coconino County and the Arizona Department of Health Services WIC Program to provide funding exclusively for the purpose of maintaining WIC benefits to qualified County residents due to the federal government shutdown of essential services was also approved by the Board of Supervisors.