Trump administration must keep funding child care subsidies in these 5 states, judge rules
Trump admin freezing child care funds to Minnesota
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday it plans to freeze all child care payments to Minnesota as the state grapples with alleged fraud involving daycare centers across the state.
On Friday, a federal judge ruled that President Donald Trump’s administration must keep federal funds flowing for child care subsidies and other social service programs in five states – at least for now.
Trump must keep funding child care subsides in 5 states
Big picture view:
U.S. District Judge Vernon Brodericks’s ruling extends by two weeks a temporary one issued earlier this month that blocked the federal government from holding back the money from California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York.
The ruling Friday from U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick extends by two weeks a temporary one issued earlier this month. (Credit: Getty Images)
The initial temporary restraining order was to expire Friday.
What they're saying:
Broderick said Friday that he would decide later whether the money is to remain in place while a challenge to cutting it off works its way through the courts.
The programs are intended to help low-income families
The backstory:
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sent the five states notices in early January informing them it would require justifications for spending the money aimed at helping low-income families. It also said it would require more documentation, including the names and Social Security numbers of the beneficiaries of some of the programs.
On Jan. 9, A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration could not block funding for child care subsidies and other programs that support children in need in the five Democratic-led states.
The programs impacted include the Child Care and Development Fund, which subsidizes child care for children from low-income families; the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides cash assistance and job training; and the Social Services Block Grant, a smaller fund that provides money for a variety of programs.
The states say that they receive a total of more than $10 billion a year from those programs — and that the programs are essential for low-income and vulnerable families, including paying about half the cost of shelters for homeless families in New York City.
The other side:
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said earlier this month that it was pausing the funding because it had "reason to believe" the states were granting benefits to people in the country illegally. At the time, it didn’t explain why.
But in Friday’s hearing, Mallika Balachandran, a federal government lawyer, said that the concerns were raised by media reports, though she told the judge she did not know which ones.
In a court filing this week, the administration objected to the states describing the action as a "funding freeze," even though the headline on the Department of Health and Human Services announcement was: "HHS Freezes Child Care and Family Assistance Grants in Five States for Fraud Concerns."
Federal government lawyers said the states could get the money going forward if they provide the requested information and the federal government finds them to be in compliance with anti-fraud measures.
The administration also noted that it has continued to provide funding to the states.
The Source: This story was reported from Los Angeles. The Associated Press, previous FOX Local reporting contributed.