Topinka: Child Care Checks on the way

 Comptroller orders immediate distribution of funds

 

 SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka announced that she has directed her staff to immediately distribute 13,716 payments totaling $8.8 million to Illinois child care providers.

The direction from the state Fiscal Officer comes after members of the General Assembly passed legislation to provide additional funding for child care services for low-income families.

 The legislation was introduced this month after more than 40,000 child care providers were informed that they would not receive another payment until the new fiscal year begins on July 1.

“It was unconscionable for the state to blindside tens-of-thousands of child care providers and leave them without payment for three months,” Topinka said. “The General Assembly did the right thing in finding additional funds, and I have made it a priority to ensure that those checks go out immediately.”

Topinka noted that while child care providers are again receiving payment, her office has more than 130,000 unpaid bills totaling $4.7 billion to businesses, schools, hospitals and service agencies throughout the state. When additional bills at state agencies are added in, including $2 billion in past due Medicaid payments, the state bill backlog reaches an estimated $8.5 billion.