SPRINGFIELD — Today, Voices for Illinois Children, along with other early childhood education advocates, submitted a formal complaint and request for an official investigation into the harmful cuts to Illinois’ child care program enacted unilaterally by Governor Rauner and the Illinois Department of Human Services.

The complaint and request for an investigation were submitted to the Department of Human Services and the Members of the Joint Committee on Administrative rules, the body responsible for assessing the validity of the rulemaking process.

According to Emily Miller, Policy and Advocacy Director at Voices for Illinois Children, the Department of Human Services, under the direction of Governor Rauner, failed to follow procedures required by the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act when they radically changed the child care system in Illinois.

On July 1, 2015, Governor Rauner improperly used emergency rulemaking to change the Child Care Assistance Program, or CCAP. The purpose of CCAP is to ensure that low-income, working families have access so safe, quality early learning environments for their children.

As a direct result of the Governor’s actions, 90% of low-income families who apply for CCAP are being denied.
Other groups have joined in the complaint and request for investigation, including Children’s Home and Aid, Illinois Action for Children, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, and surprisingly the Ounce of Prevention Fund, an organization for which Rauner’s wife is president.