- Published: Wednesday, August 25, 2021 02:48 PM
CHICAGO – An expansion of child care benefits will be made permanent under a measure sponsored in the Senate by State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago).
“Living has become more expensive for families while wages and the federal poverty level have stubbornly remained at the same inadequate levels, and today we have acknowledged that reality,” Pacione-Zayas said. “I applaud everyone who stepped up to demand this permanent adjustment, and I want to thank Governor Pritzker for being on the right side of this issue.”
Earlier this summer, Pritzker announced an expansion of the Child Care Assistance Program that would allow the Illinois Department of Human Services to facilitate improvements including reducing family payments, preserving co-pay percentage limits, updating income thresholds for eligibility for assistance and more.
In 2015, cuts to child care funding prevented many families from accessing assistance, with about 90%of parents losing eligibility after the budget cuts were implemented. House Bill 3620 and the new improvements at DHS clarify and expand the existing Child Care Assistance Program to ensure that families are able to access the support they need to pay for child care so the budget cuts that hurt so many families cannot happen again.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has showed us that child care is essential both to working families and to the growth of our state,” Pacione-Zayas said. “Children will one day grow into the future leaders of our society, and they deserve quality child care to help them reach their potential, regardless of how much money their parents make.”
HB 3620 is in effect now.
