WASHINGTON — As the federal government shutdown drags on, a food aid program for moms and young children could run out of money within a couple of weeks, Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, provides free, healthy foods for low-income pregnant women, moms and young kids through vouchers for about 111,000 Alabamians . But funding for the program expired Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. It is one of the most vulnerable programs during the funding lapse.

“The one that is really the most challenging for us to manage right now is the WIC program,” Harris told Todd Stacy on Capitol Journal last week.

In Alabama, WIC vouchers total about $120 million a year and are used in grocery

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