Amid Trump’s Attempts to Block Billions in Funding for Child Care, Duckworth Meets with Metro East Care Providers

Amid Trump's Attempts to Block Billions in Funding for Child Care, Duckworth Meets with Metro East Care Providers

[EDWARDSVILLE, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with Metro East child care providers and families to learn more about how Donald Trump's attempt to block $1 billion in funding for Illinois would gravely impact child care in the region, as well as how previous Trump Administration cuts have already affected services. Duckworth met with child care provider leaders from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Early Childhood Center, Brightpoint, Michelle's Place Cahokia Heights, Early Explorations and Early Explorations Too Childcare Centers, Step by Step, UniPres Kindercottage and Riverbend Head Start and Family Services and parents from these centers. Photos from today's meeting are available on the Senator's website.

"Trump tried to punish our kids and cut billions in child care and other services simply because our state voted against him," Duckworth said. "Every day this Administration finds new and crueler ways to hurt our communities rather than actually work to make life for American families easier or more affordable. He should leave our children out of his vindictive political games, and I'll keep doing everything I can to help ensure our families and child care providers have the support they need."

Duckworth and leaders also discussed the impact of Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) funding cuts, grants which help fund on-campus child care for parenting students currently enrolled in post-secondary education programs. The Trump Administration last year cut CCAMPIS funding to institutions with curriculum not aligned with the Trump Administration, including SIU-E. Duckworth has been a longtime champion of CCAMPIS, originally authoring the CCAMPIS Reauthorization Act in 2016 while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, and most recently reintroduced the legislation to reauthorize and increase funding last September.

Last month, the Trump Administration attempted to freeze distribution of $10 billion in federal funding for five Democratic-led states, including $1 billion for Illinois and impacting around 152,000 children. Illinois and the other impacted states filed a lawsuit challenging these attempts, and a federal judge has blocked the administration from freezing these funds.

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