Trump administration freezing child care funding in NY, other blue states

Trump admin. freezing child care funding in NY

The Department of Health and Human Services will freeze taxpayer funding for several child care and social services for some Democrat-led states, including New York. FOX 5 NY's Briella Tomassetti joined Dan Bowens on Newsroom Live to explain.

NEW YORK - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will freeze taxpayer funding for several child care and social services for some Democrat-led states, including New York.

$10B in funding cut off

What we know:

The HHS will freeze taxpayer funding from the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF), the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and the Social Services Block Grant program.

New York, California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota are the affected states.

These funding pauses, The New York Post reports, were set to be announced via letters to each state sent yesterday, Jan. 5.

Dig deeper:

The HHS is rescinding several child care rules established by former President Joe Biden that required states to pay child care providers before verifying attendance.

Under the rule changes established by HHS:

• Attendance-based billing will be restored
• Upfront payments will no longer be required
• Voucher flexibility will return

What they're saying:

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand released a statement regarding the situation:

"My faith guides my life and public service. It’s our job to serve the people most in need and most at risk – no matter what state they live in or what political party their family or elected representatives belong to. To use the power of the government to harm the neediest Americans is immoral and indefensible. This has nothing to do with fraud and everything to do with political retribution that punishes poor children in need of assistance. I demand that President Trump unfreeze this funding and stop this brazen attack on our children."