The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) and Caldwell County Department of Social Services have received a notification from the federal government warning of possible disruptions to November Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) benefits if the ongoing federal shutdown continues. The agencies are currently working to determine how these potential changes could affect residents in North Carolina.
“This may result in November FNS benefits not being issued on your usual schedule or for your regular benefit amount. We recognize the importance of these benefits and will provide updates as soon as federal guidance is available,” stated NC DHHS.
For more information regarding FNS benefits during the shutdown, individuals are encouraged to visit the NCDHHS website at www.ncdhhs.gov/fns. Recipients can also check their balances through the ebtEDGE app or by calling the number on the back of their EBT card.
Residents needing immediate assistance can use resources such as nc211.org, which connects people with local food pantries, meal programs, and other essential services around the clock in multiple languages.
In related educational news, data shows that among Caldwell County school districts, only 17.9% of senior students who took the science portion of the ACT were considered ready for college in the 2022-23 academic year, while 19.6% of juniors met this benchmark according to information from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/). In reading, 29.2% of seniors and 25.6% of juniors were deemed college-ready (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/). For math, just 14.5% of seniors and 15.4% of juniors reached college readiness standards (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/).
These figures highlight ongoing challenges faced by students in Caldwell County schools as they prepare for post-secondary education.
