Child care providers and children who marched to governor’s Winnetka home were met with support

On Tuesday, hundreds of children, parents, and child care providers marched in Winnetka to Rauner’s home to protest his administration’s efforts to undermine child care for 38,000 Illinois children.

Interviews conducted by the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times show Rauner’s neighbors oppose the governor’s back door cuts and supported the marchers.

The Tribune talked to Susan Dwyer who said as a working mother herself she understands the needs of parents who must have child care.  Another neighbor, Sarah Ross, called the march “fabulous.” “I think [this march is] great.  It’s an absolute necessity,” said a third neighbor, Norman Rosenstein.

The Sun Times talked to a fourth Rauner neighbor, Katie Scullion. She said: “There are a lot of people in this neighborhood who see tremendous problems with growing inequality. And we need a government that will help address this problem.”

Marchers were protesting Rauner’s latest attempts to purge children from the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).  Rauner’s administration is conducting this latest purge under the banner of new federal training requirements that must be completed by Sept. 30th.

The administration is requiring these low-income providers to pay for their own training and miss days of work without pay, an impossible hurdle for most. Providers and children face a similar fate as in 2015 when Rauner hastily cut the eligibility requirements that permanently damaged CCAP to the tune of about 40,000 children who lost care.

Diane Macias, a child care provider, spoke to the Tribune about the effect of Rauner’s new policy on providers and the children they serve.  “They opt out, or shut down because they can’t afford to take the time for the training.”

Her mother, Maricarmen Macias, who is also a child care provider told NBC 5: “Every child care provider that does not comply with those requirements will be kicked out of the program.”

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