As the government shutdown stretches into day 14, funding for vital programs remains stuck in a deadlock limbo between Congressional Republicans and Democrats.

Thus far, programs such as Social Security, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) have continued distributing benefits to enrollees, something officials warned could soon become impossible for some.

A day before the shutdown began, the National WIC Association warned that the program, which provides resources to millions of low-income women and children, would run out of money in a matter of weeks without Congress passing a new budget.

As that deadline neared last week, the White House announced a temporary infusion of funds to keep the program running. This temporary fix, however, is not enough to keep it running for long, the National WIC Association warned.

Here's what to know about WIC as the shutdown "barrels" toward what Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said could be "one of the longest shutdowns in American history."

USA TODAY contacted the White House and the National WIC Association for comment, but has not received a response.

What is WIC?

WIC is a federal nutrition program that provides food, education and counseling to nearly 7 million at-risk pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding individuals, as well as infants and children up to 5 years old.

What happens to WIC during a government shutdown?

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) contingency plan, WIC continues to operate in the event of a shutdown as long as funding is available. However, WIC is not designated as "mandatory spending," meaning funding for the program is subject to regular Congressional allocation and approval.

In a Sept. 30 news release, National WIC Association President and CEO Georgia Machell said that the program would run out of funding within one or two weeks if the shutdown continued.

WIC can "recover and reallocate unused grant funds from the previous fiscal year" for state-level activities if it becomes strapped for cash; however, federal activities will cease once funding is unavailable, according to the plan. States can carry over up to 3% of fiscal year 2025 funding, if unused, according to the Food Research & Action Center. The remaining funds are returned to USDA to be reallocated for fiscal year 2026.

When federal monies run out, states and local governments can step in to fill the gap and file for reimbursement from the federal government later, if they can afford to do so.

How much temporary funding was given for WIC?

On Oct. 7, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a social media post that the White House had found a "creative way" to continue funding WIC through tariff revenue. On Oct. 9, the Associated Press reported that $300 million in unspent tariff revenue and leftover funding from other programs was infused into the program. At least some states had begun receiving the money by that afternoon.

Some, like Alaska and Washington, told AP that the money would last them through late October or early November.

"We welcome efforts to keep WIC afloat during the shutdown, but families need long-term stability, not short-term uncertainty," said Machell in an Oct. 7 statement. "There is no substitute for Congress doing its job. WIC needs full-year funding, not just temporary lifelines."

In an Oct. 14 statement, the USDA told USA TODAY that it will continue to utilize tariff revenue to fund WIC "for the foreseeable future."

Earlier this year, the National WIC Association criticized House Republicans and the White House for proposing significant cuts to the program, saying in May that Trump's budget request for fiscal year 2026 threatened the health and nutrition of millions of low-income families.

"We are deeply disappointed by the president’s proposed budget cuts to WIC’s nutrition assistance," Machell said in a May 30 statement. "By cutting WIC’s Cash Value Benefits (CVB) for fruits and vegetables by two-thirds and reducing overall program funding, the proposal directly removes healthy food from the hands of low-income moms and young children who face nutritional risk."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WIC gets temporary funding boost. How long will it keep the program running?

Reporting by Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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