Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin met with childcare leaders and families on Wednesday at the YWCA in Rockford.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration froze $1 billion in federal funding for Illinois child care and social services, before a judge reinstated the funding for two weeks. That temporary restraining order ends this week.
“There are thousands and thousands of kids in the state of Illinois who are at risk of losing affordable childcare,” he said. “We estimate that for one child, it could be $12,000 a year for daycare.”
Durbin said they’ll find out Friday if the funding freeze will continue. The administration claims it’s due to concerns about widespread fraud, but Durbin says they haven’t shown any evidence, and that they have audits in place to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“The audits," he said, "go on by the state and federal government all the time, looking over their shoulders to make sure they're following the law. There is no waste, fraud, and abuse."
If courts rule the funding freeze can go on, Durbin says many childcare centers would face imminent closure and thousands of kids could lose childcare.
Sue Wilson is the executive director at First Step Day Care in Belvidere and spoke at the meeting. She said the funding is crucial for their center.
"If we lose this money," she said, "we shut down."
The freeze would stop the flow of federal funding to three programs: the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and the Social Services Block Grant.
The first grant helps fund Illinois’ Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) that provides subsidized childcare to around 100,000 low-income families.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families also helps fund the Child Care Assistance Program and supports providers.
Wilson says 94% of First Step's funding is through CCAP, which is why the freeze would be so devastating.
The Social Services Block Grant supports organizations that provide health and welfare services.
