Utah’s Women Infants and Children (WIC) program received $2.5 million in emergency funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will allow the program to re-open its clinics and start issuing food vouchers to both new and existing clients.

Bear River Health Department WIC clinics resumed on Thursday, October 3 in Cache, Rich and Box Elder counties. Lloyd Berentzen, executive director of the Bear River Heath Department, says this is good news for the women, infants and children served in this health district and especially those who had not received food vouchers for the month of October.

He says if the federal government does not re-open by the end of the month, “we will be in a similar situation.” The program is funded entirely by the federal government but administered by the state and local health departments in Utah.