Congress has failed to reach an agreement to either fund the government for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 or extend federal funding for FY 2025, resulting in a government shutdown beginning early this morning. As a result, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is now operating under a contingency staffing plan, with a sharply reduced workforce. HHS plans to furlough approximately 41% of its nearly 80,000 employees, or over 32,000 staff, until funding is restored. This drastic staff reduction further cripples the agency’s already strained ability to manage and coordinate public health initiatives. 

While certain ‘essential’ activities will continue, many federally-supported maternal and child health (MCH) programs now face immediate interruptions, delays, and uncertainty. Medicaid payments will continue, as will core activities such as disease outbreak monitoring at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, many functions critical to MCH programs, such as providing routine oversight of Title V contracts, supporting clinical research that informs care for mothers and children, and maintaining timely public health communications, are paused for the duration of the shutdown. 

Further, HHS will keep the systems that handle grant payments, including the Program Support Center and the Division of Payment Management (PMS), running with the staff needed to process payments for programs that are allowed to continue. Payment systems will follow specific procedures to make sure eligible disbursements are issued. Grants.gov will also stay online, though with fewer federal staff available to support it. The Grants.gov Contact Center is expected to still take calls, and HHS will share guidance and updates with grant-making agencies throughout the shutdown.   

This shutdown has immediate and significant consequences for MCH. With HHS scaling back operations, state public health departments, providers, and families who rely on federally funded services may experience disruption.  

Direct Impact on MCH Programs 

• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) – HRSA will continue programs funded through mandatory sources, carryover, advance appropriations, or user fees, including Health Centers, Ryan White HIV/AIDS programs, Teaching Health Centers, Family-to-Family Health Information Systems, and staff within the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program. Other activities, such as discretionary grants, IT and administrative contracts, and support for maternal health, health workforce, and behavioral health programs, are paused. These pauses will delay guidance, technical assistance, and resources that state and local programs rely on to serve mothers, infants, children, and youth with special health care needs.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – While limited outbreak monitoring and emergency response continue, many MCH activities are paused. This includes programs under the Division of Reproductive Health, such as the Safe Motherhood and Infant Health portfolio, which provide essential data, surveillance, and guidance on maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, and infant health outcomes. Interruptions to these efforts delay critical research, technical assistance to states, and dissemination of public health information that Title V programs and providers rely on to improve MCH. The CDC plans to furlough 64% of its staff. 

Communities across the nation rely on strong and well-resourced MCH programs to address the drivers of poor outcomes and close gaps in access to care. Sustained investment is critical to ensuring that states and communities can continue advancing research-based solutions and strengthening the systems that support mothers, children, and families.  

AMCHP continues to press for robust investments into MCH programs, and our Government Affairs Team will continue to monitor this situation and provide additional updates. Additionally, AMCHP is collecting impact testimonials from our members that highlight how the shutdown will affect/is impacting MCH populations and programs. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Government Affairs Team with questions: Sherie Lou Santos (ssantos@amchp.org), Gabrielle Galusha (ggalusha@amchp.org), and Karina Collins (kcollins@amchp.org).