Though they have braced for the worst, federally-funded groups in Lewis and Thurston counties so far have felt few negative effects from the government shutdown.
For local government employees and service-utilizers, the continuation of business as usual comes as a relief, amid grim uncertainty nationwide.
Hours after the federal government ceased operations on Tuesday morning, Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, programs throughout the country began to close their doors.
Lewis County’s division — which provides services to 67 percent of the county’s infants — seemed to have little time left, WIC Manager Michelle Ross said.
“We’d been getting calls ever since this started about whether or not we’ll continue to operate,” Ross said. “We were just telling people what we knew at the moment.”
On Thursday, WIC was given a reprieve: the state would have enough money to fund the program through Oct. 31, not Oct. 9 as originally predicted.
“It’s encouraging to hear they will continue funding because we know how important funding this program is to the health of nation’s women infants and children,” Ross said.
A nutrition and education program, WIC’s efforts include improving maternal and child health; reducing infant mortality rates; improving breastfeeding rates; and reducing obesity and chronic disease.
Lewis County’s WIC serves 2,785 clients. Nationwide, the program benefits nearly 9 million people.
“Participants who get these services,” Ross said, “ultimately have better, healthier lives.”
All of Lewis County — not just clients — stand to lose should funding for WIC be cut, Public Health and Social Services Director Danette York said.
“Vouchers are provided through WIC for children and pregnant women to get nutritious foods,” York said. “Those vouchers are turned around and used in local grocery stores. It’s not only helpful for nutritional reasons, but it also provides tremendous funds for the local economy.”
The highly-utilized program is the only Health and Social service thats immediate future is uncertain, York said.
While American Indian tribes throughout the country fret about the future, the Chehalis Tribe is resting easy.
Twenty years ago — after weathering numerous shutdowns — the Tribe shifted from following a fiscal year to a calendar year contract with the federal government. Many of the Tribe’s services, including housing, education and law enforcement, receive government money.
“Other than maybe a few isolated situations, there isn’t much effect at all,” Chehalis Tribe Chairman David Burnett said on Thursday.
Operations are continuing smoothly for both tribal leaders and members.
“I wouldn’t characterize it as a lot of questions, but on the very first day there were quite a few questions about coming to work, what the shutdown means,” Burnett said about citizens’ responses. “But it was pretty short-lived. People saw we were just carrying on as usual.”
At the Veterans Affairs South Sound Community Based Outpatient clinic, in the Lewis County mall, patients on Thursday waited, spoke with the receptionist and were called back for doctors appointments — normal operations.
Veterans and military service are among those best insulated from the government shutdown. VA clinics throughout the country will remain fully operational, including inpatient and outpatient care, prescriptions, surgeries, dental treatment and other care.
