WASHINGTON, Sept 29 - Lower income households and Black and Latino communities will be hit hard when a confluence of U.S. economic events kick off next week, including a sharp drop in childcare funding, economists, analysts and government officials said.

Everything from economic data releases to food benefits may be suspended beginning on Sunday, and some 2.2. million government workers may be furloughed or forced to work without pay.

The $5.7 billion annual program provides food assistance and health care referrals to low-income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding woman and children up to age 5 – benefits that could dry up in days.

More than 40 million Americans relied on SNAP to make ends meet in 2022; inflation has put new pressure on household budgets, with prices higher since the COVID-19 pandemic for goods from bread to fresh vegetables and baby formula.

Biden said this week that the shutdown would hit Black Americans disproportionately hard, including by reducing nutritional benefits, cutting inspections of hazardous waste sites and lack of enforcement of fair housing laws.

Pandemic-era federal funding for the U.S. childcare system will end Saturday and a bill to restart it by Democratic lawmakers, including Senator Patty Murray and Representative Rosa DeLauro, has no traction in Congress.

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