Springfield, IL — On Tuesday evening, the Trump Administration froze $10 billion in federal funds for five states, including approximately $1 billion for Illinois’ social services and child care programs citing “widespread fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars” without providing any evidence of alleged fraud in Illinois.
The impacted funds include:
-
The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) that helps serve around 100,000 families and more than 152,000 children in Illinois.
-
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant that supports thousands of licensed child care providers in every county of Illinois.
-
The Social Services Block Grant which supports 275 organizations statewide that serve vulnerable communities.
In response to this deliberate attack on Democratic-led states and Illinois’ families, Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez said the following:
“Trump choosing to take child care away from families during the affordability crisis he created is cruel and downright disgusting. As Illinois families struggle with the fallout of his Big Ugly Budget—higher health care costs, the closing of rural hospitals, loss of jobs and food assistance—this partisan attack is another way innocent children are paying for Trump’s political games. Illinois Democrats refuse to stand by and let our families be a target and will fight for the stability and support they deserve.”
Key excerpts from Chicago Tribune: Federal government withholding $1 billion from Illinois meant for child care, family assistance
By Lisa Schencker
-
The federal government is withholding more than $10 billion in family and child care assistance money from Illinois and four other states amid concerns about fraud and misuse of the funds, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday evening.
-
State agencies involved with the money have “robust” procedures and protocol to prevent, report, and address alleged fraud, and they regularly review and audit organizations that receive state and federal dollars, according to the governor’s office. The Trump Administration hasn’t provided Illinois with any detailed information or evidence about any alleged fraud, the governor’s office said.
-
“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,” Pritzker said in a news release.
