HHS isn’t allowed to block daycare funds to states says Judge Arun Subramanian. Two days ago, Health & Human Services announced they were freezing the unchecked flow of funds for child care and other family assistance programs to five states.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today froze access to certain federal child care and family assistance funds for California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York following serious concerns about widespread fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars in state-administered programs.
“Families who rely on child care and family assistance programs deserve confidence that these resources are used lawfully and for their intended purpose,” said Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill. “This action reflects our commitment to program integrity, fiscal responsibility, and compliance with federal requirements.”
The action applies to three programs overseen by HHS’s Administration for Children and Families (ACF) — Child Care and Development Fund, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and Social Services Block Grant. In letters sent to the governors of the five states, ACF notified them that access to these funding streams is now restricted pending further review, which impacts the following totals:
Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF): nearly $2.4 billion
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): $7.35 billion
Social Services Block Grant (SSBG): $869 million
That is a LOT of our taxpayer dollars flowing back into the states. I have zero problems with the funding freeze. Why? Because as we are seeing in Minnesota, those who are supposed to be ensuring there is no fraud, waste, or abuse have either looked the other way or, in some cases, been involved in the fraud.
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