The future of a state-subsidized day care program is in limbo.
The budget passed by the last class of lawmakers and signed by former Gov. Pat Quinn cut it by millions of dollars. That means money for it has run out.
While that's not expected to be an immediate problem, some say daycare providers could begin cutting off services as soon as later this month if payments are delayed.
Gov. Bruce Rauner late last week blamed his predecessor for creating the high-pressure situation.
"Now we've got a problem, it's been dumped in our laps. ... Working closely with the General Assembly, we are going to make sure that we do the reallocations necessary to make sure the essential services of government stay open and functioning."
Rauner put a freeze on what he has broadly categorized as "non-essential" state spending. Some lawmakers say there's room to move around money in the existing budget, while another promises to introduce legislation to come up with cash to continue the program.
Childcare advocates say demand for the program already can't be met. They say that keeps low-income parents from working, or going to school.
