Last week, the Trump administration’s freeze on federal grants caused chaos for childcare providers. The administration rescinded the order after a judge intervened.
But there are still three Head Start programs in Illinois that can’t access their funding -- and are on the verge of closing down, according to the Illinois Head Start Association.
“It's not months that they can hang on, these three that we have -- it's days,” said executive director Lauri Morrison-Frichtl.
She says there’s a problem with the federal Health & Human Services payment system. Morrison-Frichtl says they’re working with Illinois senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin to try to solve the issue.
There's a chance that even more issues could pop up next week, but she says she's hopeful they’ll get the glitches worked out in time. If they don't, it would mean low-income families losing their childcare.
“Any threat really builds stress and anxiety for these families that are depending on us," she said. "They can't go to work if they don't have a place for their child."
Other Head Start programs across the country are also encountering similar issues.
