Children, parents demand funding for Illinois' Child Care Assistance Program

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The future of a program that 176,000 children in Illinois rely on is in doubt because of a budget shortfall, and it will have a big impact on day centers.

Over 1,000 child care providers and the children and parents they serve gathered at the Thompson Center on Friday, hoping to get state lawmakers to restore funding to Illinois' Child Care Assistance Program. Single parent Lakeasha Gatling depends on the help to pay for her three children to go to day care.

"I don't know what to do," Gatling said.

The child care subsidy program has an almost $300 million shortfall.

"This is our future," said Nicolette Riversa, day care teacher.

The program helps low-income and working families with child care costs.

"Gotta work try to find another hustle, overtime, got to stay on the ground somehow," said Jermaine McCord, stepparent.

Because of the crisis, the state could run out of money to pay the 32,000 child care providers that take in these kids. Subsidies for some of the nearly 176,000 Illinois kids who rely on the program will stop next week, meaning some centers will have to lay off workers or even close.

"Yesterday we received a letter from the state and in the letter it said, show this letter to your creditors and tell them that the budget, there's no money in the budget," said Maryanne Powell, Mighty Children's Academy.

While attending the groundbreaking for a new charter school in the Austin neighborhood, Gov. Bruce Rauner blamed his predecessor for creating the shortfall.

"We're going to run the government within the revenues that we have, and we're going to fix this problem that they created," Rauner said.

A spokesperson for Quinn has said Republicans blocked the budget Quinn proposed that fully funded child care. Local advocacy groups want state lawmakers to pass a supplemental funding bill to save the program.

"We can never balance a budget on the backs of young children," said Maria Whelan, Illinois Action for Children.

Meanwhile, Danielle Taylor hopes for the best.

"If this don't pass, I'm going to have to quit my job and then I'm also gonna have to stop going to school," Taylor said.

State officials say they still have access to some federal funds, and will be able to make some partial payments.

Many daycare owners say as they wait for Gov. Rauner's first budget proposal on Feb. 18, they are looking for other sources of revenue and will continue to work with families to try to keep their child care going.