Congress missed its deadline to fund the government, triggering a shutdown. Here’s what that means and where things stand as of October 7, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. ET. This is a developing story. Information may change as new details emerge.
How did we get here?
Each year, Congress must pass twelve appropriations bills to set annual funding for discretionary programs, including WIC (The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children), Head Start, the Child Care and Development Block Grant, the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant and more.
If Congress does not pass all or some of the appropriations bills by the start of the federal fiscal year (October 1), it must pass a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the lights on, or the government will shut down.
For the FY26 appropriations process, Congress has not passed any of its appropriations bills on time. Congressional leadership from both parties met with the White House on September 29, but did not reach an agreement on a CR.
The House of Representatives passed a CR before the shutdown that would keep the government open through November 21. The Senate voted on this CR on September 30, but it failed to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to end debate. Senate Democrats introduced their own CR that would keep the government funded through the end of the month and includes an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire at the end of this year.
With no CR passed by the deadline, the federal government shut down at midnight on October 1.
What does this mean for federal programs?
During a shutdown, the Executive Branch determines what services and staff are deemed “essential”—meaning staff must report to work and without pay—and which are not.
Some federal programs that are funded using “mandatory” dollars (e.g., ) will continue, but services may be disrupted as staff whose salaries are paid through appropriated dollars are furloughed.
For programs that are dependent on discretionary funding, some are already experiencing interruptions while others may only be disrupted in a prolonged shutdown. To highlight a few:
- WIC has enough funding for roughly one to two weeks. Access to WIC benefits will vary by state thereafter.
- Head Start and Child Care Development Block Grants are unlikely to experience immediate disruptions, but services may be disrupted in a prolonged shutdown.
- Title V MCH Services Block Grant payments cannot be made during a shutdown.
- Roughly two-thirds of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) staff have been furloughed. Maternal and child health programs under the Division of Reproductive Health have been paused.
Please see resources below from NCIT’s federal partners for more detailed information on how prenatal-to-three programs are affected by a government shutdown.
What happens next?
Last week, the Senate voted again on the two CRs on multiple occasions, but no agreement was reached. After holding no votes over the weekend, the Senate resumed voting on the CRs this week, but so far neither has passed. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is planning to hold votes daily.
The House has designated this week a district work period and will return Monday, October 13. If the Senate passes any CR different from the one already approved by the House, then the House will need to hold another vote.
Resources from Federal NCIT Partners:
- STATE OF PLAY: Federal Shutdown and Child Care/Early Learning Programs (First Five Years Fund)
- National WIC Association Emphasizes WIC Has Funds to Remain Open Temporarily in Government Shutdown, Urges Congressional Action
- Shutdown Impact on Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP)
- Government Shutdown: Families Need Solutions, Not More Chaos and Cuts (ZERO TO THREE)
- Issue Brief: How a Government Shutdown Hurts Kids (First Focus on Children)
- National Head Start Association Statement on Federal Government Shutdown
Please note that cross-promotion of an organization’s resources does not equate to NCIT endorsement or support of content.
