The Trump administration announced last week its decision to withhold billions of federal dollars from five Democrat-led states, including Illinois, intended to provide child care and support for low-income families. The administration cited allegations of widespread fraud as the reason for the reversal. Those claims have not been independently verified.
Programs affected by the funding pause include the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Social Services Block Grant (SSBG). Gov. JB Pritzker condemned the decision, saying, “Rather than making life easier and more affordable for our families, Donald Trump is stripping away child care from Illinois families who are just trying to go to work. Thousands of parents and children depend on these child care programs to help them make ends meet, and now their livelihoods are being put at risk. This is wrong, it is cruel, and we will take every step possible to defend the kids and families depending on all of us right now.” On Friday, Illinois and the other states were granted a restraining order as a result of their lawsuit aimed at blocking the cuts. The order will stay in place while the court case continues unless an appellate court judge decides to overturn it.
Illinois would lose approximately $1 billion in federal funding, Pritzker’s office said. More context:
Around 100,00 families — including more than 152,000 children — use the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which is partially funded through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). For Tahiti Hamer, Illinois being cut out of federal social safety net funding is both a professional and personal concern. The Chicago native is a mother of three and an early childhood education teacher at the North Lawndale YMCA where she works with infants and toddlers, many of whom have disabilities. “I’m worried because not only are my families that we provide care and services for being affected by this, but me as a parent myself,” Hamer said. “My child attends a home day care, and without her (the day care provider), I wouldn’t be able to go to work.” Tina Vanderwarker, executive director of the Early Childhood Alliance of Niles Township, said the Trump administration’s funding freeze will make it more difficult for families to care for their children.
“The families that we are helping in large part need child care for their children so that they can work to afford rent, to put food on the table,” Vanderwarker said.
