On Friday, SEIU Healthcare Illinois submitted a formal complaint to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) and joined a chorus of other advocacy organizations, including the group headed by Diana Rauner, in opposition to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s back-door destruction of the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).

Beginning July 1, Bruce Rauner froze enrollment in the successful program to an estimated 90 percent of applicants and thus far has denied child care to an estimated 5,000 families and 9,000 children.

SEIU Healthcare Illinois, which represents 28,000 state child care workers, argues in its complaint that Bruce Rauner’s administration has abused administrative rules by initiating longstanding damage to the CCAP program without debate or notice and has called for JCAR hearings on the matter.

Ounce of Prevention, the group headed by Diana Rauner, also has sought an investigation into Bruce Rauner’s assault on CCAP.

Earlier this week, the Rauner administration reversed course and announced that it would pay child care workers for work performed in July, as required by law, after singling these workers out for nonpayment.

“The back-door destruction of the successful Child Care Assistance Program already has adversely affected thousands of working parents and their children,” said Brynn Seibert, an SEIU vice president.

“Bruce Rauner achieved this end without a single hearing or any debate. We wholeheartedly agree with Diana Rauner that this administration is in violation of administrative rules with its harmful actions against vulnerable Illinoisans and should answer to this outrageous behavior before the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.”