State Rep. John Anthony reads to children at “walk-a-day” event in Sandwich, Illinois to learn about CCAP, July 17, 2015

Press Release: July 18, 2015

CONTACT: Scott Vogel, scott.vogel@seiuhcil.org

(Chicago) – Amy West, a licensed child care provider in Sandwich, Illinois – who along with herself and three staff members care for 16 infants, toddlers and school aged children – invited Republican State Representative John Anthony (R-75^th district) to attend a “walk-a-day” on July 17^th to see firsthand the hard work and the essential value of her early learning program.

Rep. Anthony was able to play with, engage and read stories to children before their afternoon nap. Afterwards, Mr. Anthony listened to Amy West discuss the threat to her small business because of Gov. Rauner’s rule changes to the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), and deep budget cuts which, if not resolved, will force her to reduce hours to her staff, reduce the number of families whom she can serve, plus not getting paid by the state because of Rauner’s government shutdown.

“Slashing our state’s children care program will have an awful domino effect for our entire community. Gov. Rauner’s cuts and government shutdown affects providers and small businesses like me, my staff who need work to pay their own bills, and the working parents and single mothers who rely on child care to hold down their own jobs or go back to school,” said Amy West.

Rep. Anthony issued the following statement after the event: “I appreciated the opportunity to participate in the “Walk-a-Day” event visiting a local child care provider threatened by the ongoing state budget stalemate. Child care providers and the families they serve are being caught in the crossfire in Springfield and we need to ensure their needs are met. Funding for child care must be maintained to the greatest extent possible in a bipartisan budget agreement.” Rep. Anthony also highlighted legislation he sponsored, HB 4242, to help protect single and working parents from a harsh state law under which they can be charged with neglect and lose custody of their kids for leaving a minor under the age of 14 home alone.

According to research from Illinois Action for Children, “On July 1, 2015, Governor Rauner made harmful changes to the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) that will hurt thousands of families and young children. These changes are not connected to the state budget. The biggest change is that new applications for child care assistance will be denied for 90% of the population. Only families that fall within one of the four priority populations may receive Child Care Assistance: 1) families on TANF; 2) having a child with special needs; 3) earning below 50% of the federal poverty level, or 4) a teen parent.” Families and caregivers – who are already making low-wage workers — will also face increases in co-payments that will place greater economic hardships on single mothers and working parents.

Each day Gov. Rauner’s government shutdown continues, tens of thousands of child care providers and home care workers worry when they will receive their next paycheck, heightening economic insecurity for these low-wage workers. The only way that Amy West has been able to continue her business is that half of her children are in the CCAP program – and the other half of her kids have parents that pay out of pocket.

“If I had two-thirds of my kids on CCAP, I don’t think I could continue my child care program. This is what is so challenging – the more that child care providers rely on parents in CCAP, the greater the risk of having a program shut down,” said West.

Amy West, a licensed child care provider, discusses the importance of Illinois’ child care program for working families and single moms: “This is a vital program that we must not cut,” West said. (July 17, 2015)

Since July 1st, it’s estimated that 2,500 families have already been denied access to the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). Nearly 5,000 families in Illinois are projected to lose child care assistance every month. Those parents now face the difficult decision of going to work or quitting their jobs to stay home and look after their kids.

Studies have shown that parents receiving Child Care Assistance Program subsidies are more likely to choose a higher quality child care setting, and have more stable child care that results in fewer job-related problems. Child care has a stronger economic multiplier than many other industries. For every $100 spending in child care in Illinois, there is an estimated $213 in regional economic impact.

Child care providers and community leaders are calling on state lawmakers to end the government shutdown immediately and actually pass a state budget. Workers say it is essential that state lawmakers enact fair and responsible revenue solutions to protect vital programs that serve low-income families instead of slashing child care, home care assistance, Medicaid and other essential services.

“It is simply immoral to balance the state’s budget on the backs of Illinois’ most vulnerable people such as low-income children and families,” said Amy West. “We need real revenue solutions to invest in early learning programs that empower working families – not a manufactured budget crisis that is damaging our communities.”

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