TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, TOGETHER WE CAN DRIVE CHANGE .

>> THE COUNTRY IS ON THE EDGE OF A CHILD CARE CRISIS AS THE PANDEMIC ERA FEDERAL FUNDS EXPIRE AT THE END OF THE MONTH .

SOME SAY THE CLIFF IS MORE LIKE QUICKSAND.

WITHOUT THAT FEDERAL FUNDING , THOUSANDS OF PROVIDERS WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO HIRE AND PAY STAFF, MEANING RAPID SHUTDOWNS FOR FAMILIES AND SMALL CHILDREN.

HOW COULD THIS IMPACT PARENTS AND CHILDREN LOCALLY THAT WE HAVE A HOME HEALTHCARE PROVIDER ON THE SOUTH SIDE AND ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF LEARNING AND FACILITIES.

IT WAS A DELEGATE WITH THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY ORGANIZING FAMILY ISSUES , AND THE GRANDMOTHER OF THREE CHILDREN BETWEEN THREE AND SIX.

AND THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR A LITTLE ACTION FOR CHILDREN.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

120,000 CHILDREN IN ILLINOIS COULD LOSE CHILDCARE ACCORDING TO THE STUDY.

MANY CHILDCARE PROGRAMS ESTIMATED TO CLOSE.

WHAT IMPACT MAY THIS HAVE?

>> A GREAT IMPACT ON MY BUSINESS.

RIGHT NOW , THE CRISIS IS REALLY BAD.

ALTHOUGH THEY SEND US MONEY THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND TO TAKE THAT AWAY WOULD BE DEVASTATING.

A LOT OF US WILL CLOSE OUR DOORS.

IF WE DO , WHERE DO THE CHILDREN GO?

>> HOW DID THE FUNDING HELP YOU?

HIRE STAFF AND PAY THEM A BETTER WAGE?

>> IT HELPED A LITTLE BIT.

IT DID NOT HELP TO PAY A BETTER WAGE.

FOR US TO PAY THEM A LIVABLE WAGE, MOST PROVIDERS, ESPECIALLY IN HOME HEALTHCARE , WE ARE NOT MAKING THAT MUCH, ONLY ABOUT $50,000 PER YEAR.

WE HAVE TO PAY STAFF.

I AM IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO, $18 PER HOUR.

>> IT DOES NOT COVER ALL THE NEEDS.

IS THIS SURPRISING ?

>> NOT AT ALL.

WE ARE ALREADY DANGLING OFF THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF.

WE ARE ALREADY IN THE CRISIS.

THERE ARE RECENT REPORTS LETTING US KNOW HOW WE ARE DOING WITH CHILDCARE ACROSS THE STATE.

THE CONTINUED REFRAIN THAT WE HEAR IS "NOT ENOUGH MONEY ."

"NOT ENOUGH STAFF , NOT ENOUGH TRANSPORTATION."

THERE IS A GREAT NEED FOR THIS AND HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

>> HOW WILL THIS IMPACT BLACK FAMILIES?

>> MANY OF OUR LOW INCOME FAMILIES WHO WORK NONTRADITIONAL HOURS , THEY MAY WORK TWO JOBS, AND WE KNOW THAT CHILDCARE IS THE BACKBONE OF THE ENTIRE WORKFORCE NATIONALLY.

WITHOUT SUPPORT , WITH LESS ACCESS , LESS CHOICES , THEY HAVE TO MAKE THE HARD DECISION, WHETHER THEY CONTINUE TO STRIVE TOWARD SELF-SUFFICIENCY OR THEY ARE THROWN BACK DOWN INTO POVERTY.

IT WILL BE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON BLACK AND BROWN FAMILIES.

>> YOU ARE CURRENTLY HELPING HER DAUGHTER AND HER THREE GRANDCHILDREN.

WHAT IS NAVIGATING THE PROGRAM ?

>> THIS SUMMER , MY DAUGHTER WAS ELIGIBLE FOR HER KIDS TO GO TO ONE SCHOOL.

THE THREE-YEAR-OLD WASN'T CHILDCARE AND THE TWO OTHERS WENT TO KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE SOMEWHERE ELSE.

I AM TRYING TO GET TO THE SIDE OF TOWN, THEN GO BACK TO GET THE THREE-YEAR-OLD.

NOW, THIS SUMMER , SHE WAS ELIGIBLE, BUT NOW SHE HAS A PROMOTION , ABOVE SCALE , $800 PER MONTH.

I AM WITNESSING THIS ACROSS THE AREA.

IT IS EVERYWHERE.

>> WAS A DIFFICULT TO FIND CHILDCARE , ESPECIALLY FOR THE THREE-YEAR-OLD ?

>> THAT IS WHY THEY SEPARATED THEM.

THEY ALSO CUT CLASSES.

THEY ARE IN A CPS SCHOOL.

THEY JUST OPENED UP THE CLASSES FOR THE FOUR-YEAR-OLD.

>> YOU HAVE BEEN A PROVIDER SINCE 2005 , HAS IT GOTTEN MORE DIFFICULT TO GET FUNDING AS THE YEARS HAVE GONE BY?

>> YES.

THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE BEEN BETTER THAT A FEW YEARS BACK WITH A DIFFERENT GOVERNOR.

FUNDING IS STILL NOT ENOUGH.

THE COST OF LIVING HAS GONE UP.

THE FOOD HAS GONE UP.

THERE IS AN EXODUS IN THE HEALTHCARE FIELD.

A LOT OF CHILDCARE PROVIDERS ARE SHUTTING THEIR DOORS BECAUSE THEY CANNOT STAY OPEN.

YOU ALSO HAVE CHILDCARE PROVIDERS THAT ARE ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.

BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF FUNDING AND THE LOW PAY IN THE INDUSTRY.

THAT SHOULD NOT BE.

A LOT OF US HAVE DEGREES.

I HOLD A DEGREE.

I HAVE COLLEGE DEBT.

>> SOMETHING THAT WE HEAR A LOT.

INSTEAD OF BEING UNDER THE CARE PROVIDER, YOU HAVE THE SAME EDUCATION LEVEL, BUT WE NEED CHILDCARE PROVIDERS.

WHY HAS CHILDCARE GOTTEN MORE EXPENSIVE?

>> I THINK LARGELY BECAUSE COST OF LIVING CONTINUES TO GO UP AND THE FUNDING IS NOT MATCHING THE COST OF LIVING INCREASE.

WE HAVE THE SITUATION WHERE THERE IS A CONSTANT DEMAND OF SOMETHING THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NEEDED.

CHILDCARE IS THE WORKFORCE BEHIND THE WORKFORCE.

THAT LACK OF PARITY WITH THE COST OF LIVING CHANGES, THAT IS DEVASTATING AND CREATED CHAOS FOR PEOPLE , PERSONAL FINANCES, HOMES , BUSINESS LOSS , JOB LOSS, AND IT IS A DOMINO EFFECT OF ALL THE REASONS .

WE STILL HAVE LESS AND LESS.

IRONICALLY, GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER HAS FUNDED CHILDCARE IN WAYS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN FUNDED BEFORE.

UNPRECEDENTED.

WE THANK THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE FOR THAT.

STILL , SO MUCH MORE IS NEEDED TO HELP THE SITUATION .

HOW DIRE THE SITUATION WAS TO BEGIN WITH.

LOSING THE FEDERAL FUNDS WILL BE DEVASTATING , WE WERE IN TROUBLE BEFORE THAT.

IT WILL TAKE SO MUCH.

YOU ARE HOLDING UP THE INFRASTRUCTURE.

THE ENTIRE WORKFORCE.

>> YOU MENTIONED THE ILLINOIS SMARTSTART PROGRAM , TALK ABOUT THAT.

>> THIS PROGRAM PUTS US ON A PATHWAY TO MAKE AN IMPACT.

UNFORTUNATELY , MANY OF MY COMMENTS -- WE ARE LOOKING AT INCREASED INVESTMENTS , WE KNOW THAT WILL ONLY HELP US MAY BE MAINTAINED.

BECAUSE , RIGHT NOW, INFLATION WAS 9% LAST YEAR.

WITH THESE INCREASES , THAT DOES NOT PROVIDE PARITY FOR PROVIDERS .

FROM A LABORFORCE PERSPECTIVE.

WE ARE LOSING INDIVIDUAL STAFF MEMBERS TO OTHER SECTORS BECAUSE WE CANNOT PAY $15 PER HOUR.

WE KNOW THAT , RIGHT NOW, WE ARE HEMORRHAGING FROM A WORKFORCE STANDPOINT, WAGES HAVE NEVER BEEN CLOSE TO PARITY , WAGES CONTINUE TO BE SMALL.

THE EFFORT OF THE STATE AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE IS PARAMOUNT .

WITHOUT FEDERAL INVESTMENT TO BACK UP AND FURTHER BRING AN INFLUX TO THE SYSTEM WITH CASH , WE WILL BE IN DIRE STRAITS.

>> WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FROM FEDERAL AND STATE LAWMAKERS ?

>> THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN , IT HELPED THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, WE DID NOT HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION FOR FOOD, THIS WOULD THAT.

IF THEY COULD CONTINUE THAT.

WE HAVE MONEY, IT BEATS -- NEEDS TO BE ALLOCATED TO