Attention All State & Federal Elected Officials: RE: Cancellation of Child Care Assistance Program - CCAP Child care providers in the state of Illinois recently received notification that the funding for child care will end next Friday, January 29, 2015. In the past when the budget is in the process of being approved, providers have experienced funding gaps that were lengthy, but not permanent. This notification reads that the funding will be interrupted for an undetermined amount of time. Since the notifications went out, providers across the city have joined forces to collectively strategize on remedies to this titanic problem. Many providers have decided to close their doors on January 30th leaving hundreds of families in a dilemma creating a rippling effect on the economy. Parents who have been made aware of the looming predicament on the horizon are searching for child care alternatives so they can continue to work and feed their families. Providers are searching for answers so we can keep our families informed and plan for the storm. To date, no real answers have been made available to providers or parents. The speculation surrounding the situation is daunting. Action for Children has stated that they are suspending new approvals and redeterminations soon. This means that families will live out their current approvals and not be re-approved once their current approval ends. Additionally, this means that families with newborns or children entering daycare for the first time will not be considered for the child care subsidy at all. Each provider represents a group of fifty or more constituents that will be greatly impacted, state wide if this issue does not get resolved quickly. Collectively in the state of Illinois, there are over 3 ,000 licensed day care centers, 8,000 licensed day care homes, and 700 group day care homes with a combined capacity to serve more than 255 thousand children. A significant amount of these families receive child care subsidy and will be seriously displaced from work without having affordable child care. The resounding message this decision sent is that child care is a “nonessential” service and that the budget can be balanced on the backs of our children. The message that we want to convey is that our children are not for sale and that child care is at the core of essentials and must be protected at all costs. We are requesting the presence of our elected officials; Governor Bruce Rauner, State Senators, State Representatives, Speaker of the Senate (John Cullerton), Speaker of the House (Mike Madigan) and the Illinois Congressional Delegation to join us at an emergency town meeting to clarify the true nature of this budget crisis. It has been reported that the state deficit was under reported and that when our governor-elect took office, the true numbers were staggering. Hence, it was the governor’s alleged decision to suspend all “nonessential” disbursements. Child care was apparently listed as a “nonessential” disbursement. This meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 29, 2015, at the Home of Life Church (4650 W. Madison Ave.) this Thursday, January 6, 2015, 6:30pm-8:00pm Please be reminded that when children cannot go to school, they go to jail! Sincerely,
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 13:46:56 +0000
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