Illinois State Senator William Delgado (D-Chicago) voted today with his colleagues to ensure that child care programs throughout the state will remain funded through this fiscal year.

“Without the funding for this necessary program, nearly 85,000 families would lose a safe, reliable facility to care for their children and the state would have put nearly 3,000 child care centers and approximately 30,000 home-based providers out of business,” said Senator Delgado, Chairman of the Senate Public Health Committee. “Unlike other providers throughout the state, those who provide child care have no financial safeguards to help them stay afloat into the next fiscal year.”

Senator Delgado went on to note that without child care, parents cannot go to work, school, or participate in any sort of training programs. Child care is expensive, and many families can barely afford to work. This isn’t just an issue for low-income families either. Many middle-income families are struggling to pay for daycare. In addition, child care centers are largely not-for-profit organizations that provide quality care for children at a reasonable cost.