FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 9, 2026
CONTACT:
Graciela González
Director of Communications
[email protected]
312-728-4291
CHICAGO — Earlier this week, the federal Department of Health and Human Services announced it would freeze access to certain federal childcare and family assistance funds for five states, including Illinois. The freeze would impact $1 billion in funding for the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), programs that fund childcare services such as the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).
CCAP currently provides services for approximately 152,000 children in Illinois. Latino children represented 23% of CCAP participants in 2022, more than 21,000 children from working families who depend on this funding to afford childcare.
“Childcare is not a political issue, it’s an economic necessity for families that already struggle to make ends meet,” said Latino Policy Forum President and CEO, Linda Xóchitl Tortolero, “Working families need more support, not this reckless freeze. When the federal administration takes money from critical programs, families and children pay the price.”
Like many states, Illinois combines federal funds with state funds to support vital programs and services including childcare assistance for low-income families. Any disruption or delay in funding can have serious implications for the stability of the Illinois early childhood infrastructure and local efforts to streamline and improve services.
Furthermore, loss of funding has the potential to:
- Destabilize coordination of services by providers. CCDBG and CCAP funding is leveraged by early childhood providers to stabilize other funding sources for early childhood programs. Its loss will create a ripple effect and disrupt the delivery of essential services across organizations.
- Force staff cuts and exacerbate existing workforce shortages. Any reduction in funding could force providers to eliminate positions and potentially terminate services.
- Place additional strain on providers struggling to meet professional development requirements, leaving remaining staff to carry the burden, which can hurt program quality.
Yesterday, Illinois Attorney General, Kwame Raoul joined attorneys general from the four other states affected, California, Colorado, Minnesota, and New York, in a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s move to freeze the funds. “We are grateful that Illinois has filed suit to protect this critical funding,” added Tortolero. “Without it so many families who depend on the vast infrastructure of childcare and social services in our state, will feel the pain of this unnecessary and irresponsible move.”
Correction: A previous version of this press release states the number of Latino children enrolled in CCAP services in 2022 was 35,000, that is not correct. The correct number is approximately 21,227.
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About the Latino Policy Forum
The Latino Policy Forum is the only organization in the Chicago area that facilitates the involvement of Latinos at all levels of public decision-making. The Forum conducts analysis to inform, influence and lead. Its goals are to improve education outcomes, advocate for affordable housing, promote just immigration policies and engage diverse sectors of the community, with an understanding that advancing Latinos advances a shared future. For more information, visit latinopolicyforum.org.