(January 30, 2015) — Child care providers, along with the parents and children whom they serve, rallied outside the Thompson Center at the State of Illinois Building today to call on Gov. Bruce Rauner and the state legislature to pass an emergency funding bill as the Child Care Assistance Program is set to completely run out of money. Child care providers called on state lawmakers to take urgent action to pass an emergency funding bill to protect our Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) which is underfunded by an estimated $295 million dollars.

(TAKE ACTION NOW – send a letter to your state legislator to save our child care program!)

This funding crisis for the CCAP program is the first real test of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s leadership and commitment to supporting working families and at-risk children. Child care providers strongly urged Gov. Rauner not to play politics with the lives of providers, single moms and dads, and low-income families and infants – and instead work towards a sustainable solution that funds this vital program. Everyone is watching Gov. Rauner closely to understand where his priorities really are.

It’s not right, and it is grossly unfair that low-income families, namely single mothers, and their young children should have to suffer simply because the state legislature didn’t do its job and passed an incomplete budget.

Failure to pass an emergency supplemental funding bill will have dire consequences for working families and create a horrific spiral. It means that some parents won’t have anywhere to take their children so they can go to work or school. Child care providers which are making poverty level wages themselves will see yet more delays in receiving payments from the State if not being forced to close their doors altogether, which could impact parents who have been relying on their care child care providers.