For over 25 years, both Presidents and Congresses from across the political spectrum have consistently ensured that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) receives adequate funding to provide full benefits to all eligible applicants. However, President Trump's fiscal year 2026 budget proposes cuts to WIC funding, potentially leaving it inadequate to supply full benefits to all expected participants. The budget specifically targets the fruit and vegetable component of WIC's food benefits, which would significantly reduce these benefits for new and expecting parents and young children, resulting in a loss of over $1.3 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits for 5.2 million participants.
WIC offers nutritious foods, healthful eating counseling, breastfeeding support, and healthcare referrals to nearly 7 million low-income individuals at nutritional risk, including pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding individuals, infants, and children. Research underscores the program's role in contributing to healthier births and better nutrition, among other outcomes.
The proposed budget cuts would undermine the Administration's goals of improving children's health and lowering family food costs. Removing essential nutrients from young children's diets during critical developmental stages could lead to long-term negative health outcomes. Moreover, as grocery prices are projected to rise, reducing WIC benefits would force low-income families to spend more on groceries, contradicting the President's pledge to lower their food costs.
WIC offers specific foods, selected through a rigorous science-based process, such as whole grain bread, baby food, infant formula, milk, and "cash value benefits" for fruits and vegetables. In 2021, the cash value benefit saw an increase for participants, except infants, aligning with recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences to offer more fruits and vegetables. In fiscal year 2025, monthly cash benefits were $26 for children, $47 for pregnant and postpartum participants, and $52 for breastfeeding participants.
These increases have been well-received and have led to higher fruit and vegetable purchases by WIC participants, although WIC aims to provide only half of children's recommended intake. Under the proposed budget, cash value benefits would be drastically cut by 62% to 75%, varying by participant category, impacting 5.2 million participants. Specifically, toddlers and preschoolers would lose $16 monthly, receiving only $10, while pregnant and postpartum participants and breastfeeding participants would lose $34 and $39 respectively, leaving them with just $13 each month.
President Trump's budget also plans to rescind $391 million in previously authorized WIC funding, an action that provides less funding than the previous year. If Congress does not counteract these proposed cuts by allocating additional funding above the President's budget request, then for the first time in nearly three decades, eligible families may be turned away.
Moreover, the budget's assumption that WIC would serve an average of 6.8 million people monthly in fiscal year 2026 seems understated, as participation is already exceeding this figure and tends to increase later in the fiscal year. External factors such as economic downturns, rising food prices, or SNAP benefit reductions could increase eligibility and demand.
The President's tariff policies risk increasing grocery prices, potentially triggering a recession. Preserving WIC's full nutrition benefit is crucial for enabling low-income families to afford healthy diets for their children. Congress is urged to dismiss the proposed WIC cuts and ensure adequate funding in the 2026 appropriations bill so that all eligible families can continue to benefit fully from WIC's nutritional support.