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Parents, Day Care Providers Worry About Child Care Funding

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Parents and child care providers continue to worry about when-- or if-- the state is going to come through with money to keep a subsidized daycare program running.

The state and federal government provide assistance for working parents who can't afford the cost of child care, but Illinois hasn't put aside enough money to pay.

Jacqueline Cervantes owns Pica Boo Day Care in Cicero. She watches eight children, and all of their families receive financial help from the state.

"One of the families has five children, and she can't afford to earn a salary of $6.75 an hour," Cervantes said. "This will bring a major problem, and she wants (to) pull her child out of school, so he can take care of all the other children, and that cannot happen."

Governor Bruce Rauner says he wants the program to continue, but he and legislative leaders have been unable to reach an agreement.

While Rauner says a deal is close, the Senate President's office says major divides remain.

Lisa Ryan is a graduate student in the public affairs reporting program at the University of Illinois at Springfield. She previously worked at Indiana Public Radio and the college radio station founded by David Letterman. She is a 2014 broadcast journalism and political science graduate of Ball State University.
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