Freeze on child care funds to NY, other states, temporarily blocked by federal judge

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from freezing funding for child care to New York and other Democrat-led states.

In a Friday decision, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian announced that New York State Attorney General Letitia James and attorneys general from California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota showed “good cause” to issue a temporary restraining order preventing the federal government from blocking billions earmarked for families and children in need.

Subramanian’s decision arrived three days after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced plans to withhold $10 billion in funding to several states over concerns that people who are not citizens were the beneficiaries. The money in question came from the Child Care and Development Fund, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the Social Services Block Grant program.

“Families who rely on child care and family assistance programs deserve confidence that these resources are used lawfully and for their intended purpose,” Deputy Health and Human Services Secretary Jim O’Neill said in a statement earlier this week. “This action reflects our commitment to program integrity, fiscal responsibility and compliance with federal requirements.”

The federal freeze came on the heels of fraud allegations at multiple child care centers in Minnesota. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday told reporters, “There is no evidence of fraud here in the State of New York.”

The federal government must “immediately remove any restrictions, outside of permitted statutory authority,” on each state’s “ability to draw down funds” from the various programs, Subramanian wrote Friday.

In New York, the funding freeze targets $3.6 billion, including $2.7 billion in TANF funds that help more than 200,000 families pay for food and housing, $638 million in CCDF funds to provide child care for low-income families and $93 million in SSBG funds. The funds “support foster care, childcare, and other critical social services to prevent neglect, abuse, and exploitation of children and vulnerable adults,” according to a news release from James’ office.

The restraining order will remain effective for 14 days while New York and the other states seek a court’s declaration that the funding freeze is unlawful.

In a statement following Friday’s order, James accused the Trump administration of playing “political games with the resources families need to help make ends meet.”

“Once again, the most vulnerable families in our communities are bearing the brunt of this administration’s campaign of chaos and retribution,” James said. “After jeopardizing food assistance and health care, this administration is now threatening to cut off childcare and other critical programs that parents depend on to provide for their children.”

Nicholas Grasso covers breaking news for Newsday. A Long Island native, he previously worked at several community newspapers and lifestyle magazines based on the East End.