A program that has skyrocketed in use in Mower County this past year was stripped of its state funding Feb. 7 when Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced his unallotment budget cut plan.

Now Mower County Public Health is trying serve everyone who uses the Women Families and Children program without having to put them on a waiting list.

Women Families and Children, or WIC, is a federally and state funded program. It provides free food supplements to pregnant women and children under 5 years of age. Last Friday Pawlenty announced he was cutting all state funding to the program.

Margene Gunderson, director of community health services, said for the time being the WIC staff will shorten appointment times and basically, "get more done in less time."

Overall, county health services were not hurt too badly by the cuts. In all less than 1 percent of its total budget was cut, Gunderson said.

But cuts to WIC were "surprising," Gunderson said.

"WIC, of all the funded programs, is the most cost-effective," she said.

For every $1 spent on WIC participants, the state saves $3 in children's health care costs, she said.

"That's what I was surprised about," she said.

WIC is serving more than 1,000 Mower County residents. In previous years, participation numbers have hovered around 700 or 800.

"The need is here," Gunderson said.

Now instead of receiving $9.75 for every participant, the county will receive $7. But the more people the county serves, the more money it gets from the federal government to fund the program.

"I think at this point, we'll keep things as is and do cost-saving measure on our side of the table," Gunderson said.

Its state community health services subsidy of $138,000 was also cut. Gunderson said although it doesn't seem like very much in its $1 million budget, that money was usually spread across different programs.

"It is money we relied on," she said.

Gunderson foresees the department making it through these cuts, but the real test will come in July when next fiscal year begins. Pawlenty will announce 2004-05 budget plan Tuesday to solve a $4.2 billion deficit.

"We will wait and see what happens July 1," Gunderson said.

Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at cari.quam@austindailyherald.com