Olmsted County monitors federal government shutdown

The federal government has shut down after Congress did not reach a funding agreement by midnight on September 30, 2025. Most county services and federally supported programs will continue without interruption in the short term. Olmsted County will keep residents updated if the shutdown continues for a longer period.

Food and nutrition support 
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) 
Olmsted County WIC services will continue to operate in the short term and will notify clients directly of any changes. Olmsted County is also exploring alternative funding options for the WIC program in the event of an extended shutdown.  

WIC participants should: 

• Keep their WIC appointments. 
• Continue using WIC benefits at stores. 
• Monitor updates on the Minnesota WIC website and My MN WIC app. 
• Contact Olmsted County WIC with questions by calling or texting 507-328-7555 or emailing wic@olmstedcounty.gov. 

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other public assistance programs

• Unless the shutdown is resolved, November SNAP and Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) benefits will not be issued.
• You may begin seeing updates on MNBenefits.mn.gov, on EBT Edge, and in the news before official client notices are sent.
• These are federally funded programs, and the State of Minnesota and county agencies do not control when funding will resume.

Current status (Last updated on October 15, 2025)

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Due to the shutdown, new SNAP applications cannot be approved until federal funding resumes. Counties will continue to accept and process applications, complete interviews, and request verifications—but approvals and denials are on hold.

Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP): Due to the shutdown, November MFIP benefits cannot be approved until federal funding resumes. Counties will continue to accept and process applications, complete interviews, and request verifications—but approvals and denials are on hold.

See further details on the Olmsted County Family Support & Assistance page. 

Medicaid and CHIP
Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are not dependent on the annual appropriations process and will continue without interruption during the shutdown. Families enrolled in these programs should expect no changes in coverage or access to benefits.

Housing support 
The Housing and Redevelopment Authority has received funding for the continued operation of Public Housing through November and the Housing Choice Voucher program through November 15, 2025.   

Veteran Services 
Health care through the Veterans Health Administration and mandatory benefit payments to Veterans are funded through advanced allocations to Veteran Services. Veterans should plan to keep all appointments. 

Property, Records, and Licensing (PRL) 
The federal government shutdown should not impact services provided by PRL. Olmsted County will continue to process passports. Some applications may be delayed due to federal agencies' inability to approve the required background information. Olmsted County encourages people who have applied for new passports to track their application status at travel.state.gov. 

Other county programs 
All other Olmsted County programs and services will remain open and continue to operate normally.