Legal Challenge Halts Freeze On Crucial Childcare Funds For Families

ST. PAUL (WJON News) -- The state of Minnesota has won a temporary pause to the freeze on childcare support from the Federal Government. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and a coalition of four other attorneys general won a temporary restraining order to stop the Trump Administration from withholding over $10 billion in funds that help low-income families pay for childcare, housing, food, and more.

What programs were going to be affected by the freeze?

The temporary order stops the Federal Government from enacting a freeze to the Child Care Development Fund, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and Social Services Block Grants programs. The Trump Administration had threatened to freeze the funds in a letter to the five states on January 5th and 6th, saying the funds were going to be frozen in an effort to prevent potential fraud.

The temporary restraining order will last for two weeks, during which time the five states in the lawsuit will have the chance to seek a preliminary injunction to block the freezing of the funds for the length of the lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed by the attorneys general of Minnesota, California, Colorado, Illinois, and New York.

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