Trump administration freezes child care funding in Illinois
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Illinois is one of five Democratic-led states where the Trump administration is pausing billions in federal funding for child care and other social services.
Why it matters: Cutting funding could affect some providers' ability to operate, forcing families to go without child care, and cut off financial assistance for food, shelter and other expenses that many pregnant parents and families rely on.
Driving the news: The federal government announced Tuesday it's freezing funds from the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) programs.
- Gov. JB Pritzker's office said that affects about $1 billion in funding for the state, where more than 150,000 children are served through the child care assistance programs.
The big picture: The investigations stem from accusations of fraud by child care center operators and inadequate oversight by state officials in Minnesota.
Reality check: Tina Vanderwarker of the Early Childhood Alliance, which helps families in Niles Township apply for child care assistance and connect them with providers, tells Axios the funding freeze will hurt the families who need it most.
- "These are the families that depend on being able to work to pay their rent, to put food on their table and not having child care access will prevent one parent, at least, from working, and single-parent families will keep the one parent supporting the family at home," Vanderwarker said.
Zoom in: ACF assistant secretary Alex Adams said in letters to Pritzker that Illinois is under review because the agency believes the state "is illicitly providing illegal aliens" with benefits intended for American citizens and lawful permanent residents.
- Pritzker's office said the administration "has provided no detailed information or evidence to the state about any alleged fraud."
- Axios asked ACF for evidence of the allegations, but it did not respond.
What they're saying: "Rather than making it more affordable for families, [President] Trump is stripping away child care from those just trying to go to work," Pritzker said on X. "Thousands depend on these programs, and now their livelihoods are at risk. It's wrong and cruel — we'll take every step possible to defend Illinoisians."
State of play: ACF has requested that Illinois submit personal data for all TANF recipients. The department is also requesting proof that Illinois verified the immigration status of recipients.
- The agency asked for the same data for participants of SSBG, as well as a list of all organizations, subcontractors, service providers, local agencies, community groups and any other entities that received SSBG funds.
What's next: ACF has given the state until Jan. 20 to submit everything.