MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program can keep serving clients for now, but state officials warned Thursday the program could face painful cutoffs if the federal government shutdown drags on.

“Government shutdowns, especially when prolonged, have a direct impact on programs like the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, greatly affecting women, children, and families in need,” said Gailyn Markham, director of communications for the West Virginia Department of Health.

Markham said the Office of Nutrition Services has had to redirect staff time to plan and implement alternate operating procedures — work that takes time away from the program’s core mission of improving beneficiaries’ health.

Markham said West Virginia WIC currently ha

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