“Cutting funding for childcare is cruel”: California AG Rob Bonta halts Trump’s $5 billion childcare funding freeze
California – California Attorney General Rob Bonta got an emergency court order that stopped an unexpected federal move to freeze billions of dollars in financing for childcare and family assistance programs.
This money is needed by millions of people in the state. The temporary restraining order stops the Trump Administration from trying to cut off about $10 billion across the country, including about $5 billion that was supposed to go to California.
The money in question goes to important programs like the Social Services Block Grant, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and the Child Care and Development Fund. These services are very important for kids, working families, elders, and individuals with disabilities.
The court’s ruling makes sure that payments keep coming in while the legal battle continues on. This stops services that many families rely on for basic stability from being interrupted right away.
The ruling not only stops the hold on funds, but it also stops the federal government from asking states for a lot of paperwork about the programs. The requests included years’ worth of records and private, personally identifiable information about people who got assistance. State officials said that the demands were illegal and too broad, putting privacy at risk without any legal reason.
A complaint was filed in federal court in New York late the day before the emergency action. The attorneys general from New York, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota worked with Attorney General Bonta to take on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The lawsuit says that the government only suspended funds for five states controlled by Democrats, saying it had concerns about fraud and misuse of funds but not providing any proof to back up those accusations.
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The states say that the budget restriction breaks a number of laws, including as the Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional limits on how much Congress can spend on executive power. They also say that the measure goes against the separation of powers since it tries to override congressional budget decisions by administrative action.
Bonta called the court decision an urgent but temporary protection for at-risk neighborhoods and stressed that the legal battle is far from over.
“Again and again, President Trump has shown a willingness to throw vulnerable children, seniors, and families under the bus if he thinks it will advance his vendetta against Democratic-led states,” said Attorney General Bonta.
“Cutting funding for childcare and other family assistance is cruel, reckless, and most importantly, illegal. Today’s emergency order is an important victory for the millions of hardworking California families who benefit from these programs — but we won’t stop fighting until we block this unlawful funding freeze permanently.”
The order gives immediate relief to families, daycare providers, and service agencies throughout California. Programs that were uncertain of their future earlier in the week can keep running as the case goes on, keeping support systems that are highly important to the daily lives of millions of people.
