Trump administration funding threats set child care providers and parents on edge

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Category: Education/Family

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. subsidy / ˈsʌb sɪ di / (n.) – money given by a government or organization to help pay for something; often given to make important services or products cheaper or more affordable
    Example:

    Because of government subsidies, bus and train tickets are much cheaper for students and elderly people.


  2. withhold / wɪð ˈhoʊld / (v.) – to not give something or refuse to share something that is expected or usually given
    Example:

    The government decided to withhold funding during the investigation.


  3. drastic / ˈdræs tɪk / (adj.) – (of an action or change) very strong, serious, or extreme and has a big or sudden effect
    Example:

    The new law could have a drastic impact on families.


  4. rattle / ˈræt l / (v.) – to shock, worry, or make someone feel nervous or upset
    Example:

    Recent layoffs have rattled employees across the company.


  5. feel the pinch / fil ðə pɪntʃ / (idiom) – to notice difficulty because of less money, fewer resources, or a harder situation; often used when people start to feel financial pressure
    Example:

    Families are starting to feel the pinch as food prices rise.


Article

Read the text below.

Without federal subsidies, Breyanna Rodriguez’s child care bill for her four children would run $4,400 a month, which would eat up most of her husband’s paycheck. With child care assistance, Rodriguez, who lives in Cortland, Illinois, is able to work part-time and take community college classes while she prepares for nursing school.


Now, citing concerns about fraud, the Trump administration has said it will withhold frozen federal child care funding for Illinois and other states while it conducts an extensive review. If she loses her subsidy, Rodriguez said, “I’ll have to drop out of work. I’ll have to drop out of school.”


“I just wish this administration didn’t make such a drastic leap,” she said. “If families can’t get child care subsidies, that’s going to impact so many people in so many horrible ways that I don’t think they’re grasping.”


The Trump administration’s crackdown on the $12 billion Child Care and Development Fund, which subsidizes care for 1.4 million children from low-income households, has rattled child care providers and families that rely on the aid money. Citing unspecified allegations of fraud, Trump administration officials are requiring states to provide extra documentation before receiving the money.


It’s unclear if or when child care providers and families like Rodriguez’s would feel the pinch.


The administration announced that state officials will be required to provide additional information to receive the federal child care money. In January, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it would freeze the funding for child care subsidies until state officials provided even more exhaustive documentation.


The department said it also would withhold other federal safety net money for those states—California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York—including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which supports low-income parents with children under 18 with direct payments and by providing them with child care.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • The administration said it will withhold child care funding while it reviews concerns about fraud. Do you think it’s fair to delay subsidies because of fraud concerns? Why or why not? In your opinion, which is more important for the government: to stop all possible fraud or to ensure that honest families never lose their support? Why do you say so? Discuss.
  • Breyanna Rodriguez mentioned that the administration might not “grasp” or understand how many people will be affected in “horrible ways.” Why do you think it is often difficult for high-level politicians to understand the daily lives of low-income families? How do you think communities can make sure that the concerns of people like Breyanna are heard by the people in power? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • The government is now requiring exhaustive documentation and extra information before states can receive child care money. In your opinion, should getting government help be a simple process, or should it be difficult to ensure only the most deserving get it? Why do you say so? Discuss.
  • States like New York, Illinois, and California are seeing their funds frozen. If you lived in a state where aid was frozen, would you stay there or move to a place with more stable support? Why? Discuss.