MOLINE, Ill. - State Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, visited with children and care givers from the Skip-a-Long Family and Community Services Center on June 25 to highlight the implications of Governor Rauner's proposed budget cuts.
"These children and their families depend on the state for care and support, and many will lose access to the services they depend on if this governor gets his way," Smiddy said. "I want to thank the children and staff at Skip-a-Long for helping me highlight the human costs of irresponsible cuts and rule changes."
Skip-a-Long is a non-profit childcare center serving approximately 1,100 children. Smiddy was joined by approximately 60 community members, children and staff from Skip-a-Long and other organizations for the press event held on June 25 in opposition to Governor Rauner's proposal to slash human services funding statewide. The families receive support from the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) to offset the cost of childcare and allow parents to continue working while their children are cared for. 80 percent of the families using care with Skip-a-Long utilize the CCAP program. Eligibility rule changes imposed by the governor, which took effect on July 1, will greatly diminish the number of families eligible for the program. Skip-a-Long has already been forced to reject 12 families who applied for enrollment through CCAP, according to Marcy Mendenhall, President & CEO of Skip-a-Long Family and Community Services.
"I want to thank Representative Smiddy for taking time to visit with our kids and helping draw attention to the thousands of Illinois families that depend on the state for child care assistance," said Mendenhall. "I hope there is budget resolution as families and children will have devastating consequences, and I urge Governor Rauner to work with legislators to craft the responsible and compassionate budget Illinois needs."
