The federal government shutdown as of October 1, 2025. Here are updates on the programs managed by the Division of Family Development.
The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), Child Support program and Work First New Jersey (WFNJ) are not impacted at this time.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
New Jersey was notified by the federal government that if the shutdown continues, November 2025 SNAP benefits will not be available on time.
On October 31, federal courts ruled that the federal government’s decision to withhold SNAP funding was unlawful. However, the USDA must take action to determine how much may be paid and when it may be provided. Until the federal government takes this action SNAP benefits continue to be unavailable. The State will continue to provide updates about when SNAP benefits will be issued.
SNAP benefits loaded on your Families First EBT card prior to October 31, 2025 will be available for you to use after November 1, 2025. Before going to the grocery store after November 1, we encourage SNAP food assistance recipients to check their account at NJFamiliesFirst.com or by calling 800-997-3333. If there are SNAP benefits in your NJ Families First account, they are available for you to use.
Please note, you may receive eligibility notices and your MyNJHelps case summary may show that you are eligible for November benefits. Even though you may receive an eligibility notice and the benefits show in your case summary, if the federal shutdown continues, November 2025 SNAP benefits will not be posted to your Families First EBT card on time.
Because November SNAP benefits are not available as a result of a federal shutdown, fair hearings will not be scheduled for this issue. To find a food pantry in your area, visit NJ211.org.
Continue to visit the DFD Emergency/Disaster page for ongoing updates on how the federal shutdown may impact these programs.
Due to limited funding, as of Friday, August 1, 2025, the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) is no longer accepting new applications. Applications received or postmarked after July 31, 2025, will not be reviewed.
Children currently served by the Child Care Assistance Program will continue to receive assistance as long as they remain eligible. Unfortunately, new children cannot be added to existing CCAP cases after July 31, 2025.
If you need assistance paying for child care, you can check whether you are eligible for the Head Start child care program or if your school district has free child care for three- and four-year-olds.
Additional funding is not anticipated for the foreseeable future.
If you would like to be notified when funding becomes available and the application reopens, visit our CCAP Application Closed page to provide either your email address or phone number.