Federal funding freeze threatens vital services and jobs

The Trump administration has announced plans to “freeze” nearly $10 billion in federal social services funding, targeting Illinois and four other states. Thus far, there has been no indication of when the freeze will go into effect or how long it will last.  

The cuts will hit three critical programs that are administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Child Care and Development Fund, and the Social Services Block Grant Program.

These programs provide lifelines for at-risk children and families struggling to make ends meet, who might otherwise have to go without food, shelter, heat, electricity, health care, child care, or other basic human necessities.

This latest move puts some of Illinois’ most vulnerable residents at even greater risk and threatens the jobs of hundreds of AFSCME members. Steep cuts in federal funding to crucial programs like SNAP and Medicaid are already threatening Illinois families—and the state’s budget. This new ill-defined funding “freeze” could put an even larger hole in the budget than the one already anticipated from the so-called "big, beautiful bill."

AFSCME will continue to be on the frontlines of the fight to defend public services from these attacks and protect the jobs of the union members who make those services happen.