I evaluate the impacts of children aging out of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program on parental mental health, medication adherence, and food security, outcomes well known to be associated. Regression discontinuity analysis reveals a decline in maternal mental health, specifically in anxiety, as children lose WIC eligibility. Medication adherence also decreases among mothers, especially those not covered by Medicaid. Fathers do not exhibit similar adverse effects. Moreover, both mothers and fathers experience increased food insecurity. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that single mothers and mothers predicted to be at risk of serious mental illness are the primary drivers behind the deterioration in maternal mental health, highlighting the vulnerability of these groups to the cessation of WIC benefits.
