Governor Rauner made an executive decision to change the eligibility guidelines for our state Child Care Assistance Program beginning July 1 2015, He did this without consulting the legislature or Illinois voters. He was able to do this by claiming Illinois's budget issues are an emergency situation. This gives him the power to enact emergency rules.

The new guidelines will not allow a single parent of one making more than $664.00 a month to qualify for any daycare assistance. A family of three cannot make more than $838.00 a month. A family of four cannot make more than $1,011.00 a month. No one that works more than 18 hours a week at minimum wage is going to get any assistance at these income levels. All new applications are being denied and put on a waiting list if you do not meet the new income and special guidelines.

Please if you do not want to see this crucial program that helps so many low income families go to work and school each day eliminated sign this petition to tell The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules to establish that Governor Rauner overreached his power and to reinstate this program to its June 2015 income and eligibility levels. Illinois's budget crisis should not be fought on the backs of the poor.