Contact your elected
officials today and tell them to support a $73 million supplemental appropriation for IDHS to fully fund
the Child Care Assistance Program through June 30th, 2012. Without a supplemental appropriation NOW,
the very existence of the Child Care Assistance Program is threatened. In
Illinois, there are over 40,000 child care providers that serve over 400,000
children whose care will be jeopardized without additional funding. Child care
in Illinois depends on all of us –
take action today!
What is happening?
As of May 2nd,
2012, IDHS has run out of money to pay child care providers for the services
they have provided in April and will provide in May and June. IDHS will not be
paying providers until July 2012 at the earliest. To read the full IDHS
statement on this matter, please visit www.actforchildren.org.
What does it mean?
- Thousands of
child care providers will be forced to shut their doors and no longer be able
to provide care. Child care providers are not like hospitals or
corporations—they do not have extra funds to survive the 3 months of
non-payment.
- Tens of
thousands of parents across Illinois will no longer be able to go to work or
school while their children are being cared for in a safe and nurturing
environment.
- Employers will
face a loss of productivity in the form of high absenteeism or the outright
loss of employees who cannot find affordable child care.
What can I do?
Contact your elected officials today and tell them to
support a $73 million supplemental appropriation for IDHS to fully fund the Child Care Assistance Program through
June 30th, 2012.
You can also make
your voice heard by attending our Rally in Springfield on May 16th
– for full Rally details, click
here.
