Message from the CAFC’s President: Meeting the Challenge of a Federal Government Shutdown

From Children’s Advocates for Change President Dr. Tasha Green Cruzat:

The situation was always serious but now it is real – a government shutdown. Pundits will take out scorecards to see if democrats or republicans are winning the political fight. Yet, in the meantime, the pain will mount for the most vulnerable and especially children needing food, housing, medical care, educational resources and other vital services.

The longer a shutdown goes on the more likely we will see funding for the Women, Infants, and Children Program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program run out. Furloughed or fired federal employees means more difficulty in processing available housing vouchers or education grants. Head Start programs would likely see disruptions.

What some might feel will be a short-term disruption is shaping up to be a long-term shutdown with potentially lifelong impacts on our children. Members of Congress need to step-up and bolster, not tear down, our communities. Our state officials also need to step up to the challenge and provide the funding for federal funding shortfalls in needed programs.

Before the shutdown, Children’s Advocates for Change recognized our children’s needs for additional economic and health resources with our efforts to increase the new Illinois child tax credit for low-income families and calls to provide more preventive health care services through local public health department.

Now, those needs – and others – are on the verge of becoming acute, and our public officials need to meet the challenge. Children’s Advocates for Change calls on them to meet this moment, and we are ready to continue working with them so that all children across the state of Illinois thrive.