Historically Long Government Shutdown Ended. Now what?

The longest government shutdown in history, 43 days, has come to an end. On November 12, Congress passed and President Trump signed legislation to fully reopen the federal government. The funding package has two parts that continue to fund government agencies, programs, and federal workers.

• Three full-year FY2026 appropriations bills which fund the following through September 30, 2026:
  1. Military Construction and Veteran Affairs
  2. Agriculture through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  3. Legislative Branch
• Funding for all other federal agencies and programs continues at FY 2024 levels through January 30, 2026.

Of note, the Agriculture-FDA funding provides:

• $107 billion for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• $8.2 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which is an increase of $600 million compared to FY2025

While funding has been restored for SNAP, many states are still trying to recover from the funding lapse. While some states had contingency plans in place, 13 states issued no SNAP benefits in November 2025. For SNAP recipients in those 13 states, it could take 7-10 days for payments to fully be issued. In addition to the issues from the funding lapse, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act mandates that states will begin paying for part of SNAP benefits starting in 2028.

The funding package does not extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced tax credits, which are set to expire on December 31, 2025. As part of the negotiations to reopen the government, Senate leadership promised to hold a vote on the tax. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, if the tax credits expire, the average marketplace enrollee will see their premiums double, rising by more than $1000 per year.

As Congress works on securing funding for other federal agencies and programs, it is important to note some of the key proposals that could impact children and youth with special health care needs and disabilities.

• Significant cuts to:
  • Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant
    • Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS)
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Elimination of:
  • Preschool Development Grants (PDG) which provide resources to improve access to quality early education and child care
  • Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS), which supports student-parents in accessing child care when they go to college
  • Teach Quality Partnership Grants, which support programs to prepare teachers to teach in high-need schools and early childhood education programs
  • Community Services Block Grant, which funds efforts to address the causes of poverty in low-income communities, including access to early childhood education
  • Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), which funds essential child welfare programs, including child protective services, foster care, and support for struggling families, as well as child care in some states
  • English Language Acquisition, which helps immigrant children learn English while encouraging opportunities for biliteracy or multiliteracy for all students