DHHS furloughs 337 employees due to government shutdown, funding running out for programs

Press release

From the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services:

Raleigh, N.C. – Today, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services instructed 337 employees that were immediately impacted by the federal government shutdown not to show up to work tomorrow. These employees are fully funded by federal dollars and will be furloughed until a continuing resolution is passed by the federal government.

Employees that are partially funded by federal dollars will remain at work until the full impact of the shutdown can be assessed in the coming days. In total, up to 4,500 DHHS employees may be furloughed or see their hours reduced due to the shutdown.

“Our leadership team continues to gather information about the full impact of the shutdown on our employees, programs and vital services,” said DHHS Secretary Aldona Wos, M.D. “We hope our elected leaders in Washington D.C. will soon reach an agreement so our employees can return to their jobs and continue serving the people of North Carolina.”

Based on information gathered from the federal government, other potential impacts from the federal shutdown on DHHS include:

Standard, follow up, licensure inspections of certain licensed healthcare facilities by federally-funded inspectors will cease.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, will shut down this month as remaining funding runs out. The program is 100% federally funded and provides supplemental food, health care referrals and nutrition education for almost 264,000 women, infants and young children each month.
Funding for North Carolina ‘s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, called Work First, will begin to run out.
The Child Care Development Fund will begin to run out. Existing funds will likely cover a portion of the month of October.
Funds for Adult Protective Services and Guardianship Services will begin to run out.
Medicaid and services at DHHS’ state operated healthcare facilities are not affected by the shutdown. Additionally, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food stamps will continue to be distributed through the month of October.

DHHS is still working to assess the full impact of a federal shutdown. DHHS’ leadership team will continue to work closely with federal and local partners, including DSS offices and local health departments, and update the public as we learn more about the potential impact.