Frankfort, KY (WMDJ) — Yesterday, Governor Andy Beshear announced he has redirected $9.1 million to help keep Kentucky’s Senior Meals program going after Area Development Districts reported they had run out of funding.

The money comes from a previously unused Medicaid appropriation, and legislative leaders have agreed to retroactively approve the move. Beshear says the administration will also review the entire Senior Meals program to ensure funding and procedures are consistent statewide.

The Governor also announced that the state will temporarily cover the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, or TANF, through November due to the ongoing federal shutdown. He said the goal is to prevent any disruption in benefits for struggling families.

The shutdown has also stopped federal funding for SNAP, which supports more than 600,000 Kentuckians. Recipients can continue using current benefits, but new payments are on hold until federal funding resumes.

Beshear said the state faces a potential $305 million budget shortfall as it works to manage the impact of the shutdown.