Seen a Rogue on the loose? Get in touch with our Roguemeister: JOHN SCHRAG jschrag@wweek.com (503) 243-2122 FAX: (503) 243-1115 For at least two weeks this month, low-income mothers in Oregon are on their own when it comes to feeding their children. The Women, Infants and Children program is just plain out of money. The successful program provides food and nutritional education to about seven million Americans nationwide, including more than 90,000 Oregonians who are living on the edge. For two weeks, however, an estimated 1,500 new clients in Oregon will be turned away. The state Department of Human Resources, which administers WIC for the federal Department of Agriculture, ran out of cash for the program last week. It isn't that the state planned poorly, it's that roguish federal officials sliced the budget at the last minute--at the same time as food costs and the Oregon caseload were rising. The state was expecting to receive $500,000 to $600,000 in August from the feds to help it finish up the year. Instead, it got $400,000. Additionally, WIC had budgeted an average monthly food cost of $40.85 per person for August. Instead it was $41.40. Finally, WIC planned to serve 90,700 clients for fiscal year 1998, which ends Sept. 30. Instead, they saw their caseload headed to 95,000 and have been frantically trying to cut clients off the rolls. More money will be available Oct. 1, but until then, women are on their own. Earlier this week, Congress increased funding for WIC, but that doesn't change the fact that Oregon has been getting short-changed. Donalda Dodson is the director of the Oregon Health Division's Center for Child and Family Health. She says Oregon's WIC rolls have increased more than the federal government is willing to admit, leaving the possibility that we'll be in the same situation a year from now. We can think of 1,500 reasons why this should not happen. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published September 29, 1999