The Trump administration has temporarily halted federal funding for child care providers in Missouri, citing the need for detailed justification of payment requests amid broader national concerns over fraud and recent political events, impacting over 1,700 providers in the state.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has frozen child care assistance payments in Minnesota amid unverified fraud allegations, causing confusion and concern among providers and families about the impact on services and funding, with ongoing investigations and calls for transparency.
The $24 billion in pandemic relief funding for child care in the United States has expired, leaving over 220,000 providers without financial support. The child care shortage already costs families $78 billion per year and businesses $23 billion per year. While politicians on both sides of the aisle agree on the need for affordable child care, there is disagreement on the best approach. Democrats propose committing $16 billion per year for the next five years, while the Chamber of Commerce favors tax credits. Without continued funding, the child care crisis is expected to worsen, leading to a continuing shortage of affordable services.