As the national baby formula shortage has escalated in recent months, parents have been confronted with familiar problems seen throughout the pandemic: purchase restrictions, hoarding, price gouging and nagging questions about the sacrifices required to make ends meet. In this case: feeding their children. “Across the board, searching for formula at this point has become a full-time job,” said Brian Dittmeier, senior director of public policy at the National WIC Association, the nonprofit advocacy arm of WIC. “Families are feeling that stress – both financially and in a time cost sense.” The baby formula shortage began in November 2021, when about 11% of popular brands were out of stock, according to data analytics firm Datasembly. As of May 8, 43% of baby formula was sold out at retailers across the U.S. because of recalls and supply chain strains. Former White House press secretary Jen Pskai said that President Joe Biden's administration is calling on the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to crack down on any price gouging, including "third-party sellers reselling formula at steep prices." It also is urging states to allow customers more flexibility on what types of formula they can buy through WIC.