Parents in California, other blue states may need to pay more for childcare as federal funds freeze

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Parents whitethorn request to wage higher childcare costs successful California until further notice.

On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced it is freezing $10 cardinal successful programme backing owed to alleged fraud.

All 5 states impacted are blue: California, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois, and New York.

Officials said families successful Fresno County volition apt beryllium affected by the frozen national funds, arsenic much than 52% of residents trust connected societal services.

"Our families are going to consciousness the pain, unfortunately," said Luis Chavez, Fresno County Supervisor for District 3.

Chavez blasted the Department of Health and Human Services connected Tuesday, aft the national bureau cited fraud arsenic the crushed for freezing $10 cardinal successful backing for childcare services.

President Trump targeted California Governor Gavin Newsom connected Truth Social, stating that "Fraud Investigation of California has begun," but didn't specify what is being investigated oregon what the alleged fraud is.

Governor Newsom's Office responded successful a connection to Action News, laughing, calling Trump "a deranged, habitual liar," and claiming Newsom has blocked implicit $125 cardinal successful fraud.

"To me, it's shameful. And it's a atrocious time, due to the fact that close now, arsenic we're seeing, ostentation is inactive high, state prices are inactive high, vigor costs, rent, mortgages," said Chavez.

Included successful rising costs: childcare.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that daycare and preschool costs accrued 4.7% successful the past year.

Chavez's colleague, Nathan Magsig, besides worries astir the impact-but says thing has to beryllium done.

"I americium precise acrophobic with however this is going to interaction residents present successful Fresno County, but I bash invited the national authorities to travel successful and marque definite wherever determination is fraud and maltreatment and waste, that that, of course, is chopped out," said Magsig, who represents Fresno County's 5th district.

"If determination are folks, oregon organizations, oregon entities that are engaging successful this... let's absorption connected prosecuting them, and not just, you know, blanketly accidental a full authorities is committing fraud. We cognize that's not accurate, we cognize that's not real," said Chavez.

The Trump Administration said that successful California, CalWORKs, which provides benefits specified arsenic Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and EBT, mislaid much than $108 cardinal successful currency benefits owed to payment fraud.

Childcare programs successful each 5 impacted states were frozen owed to what officials called "rampant fraud" and "giving wealth to illegals," according to a elder Trump Administration official.

"What's precise disappointing is that it seems to beryllium a precise politicized move... lone 5 antiauthoritarian states were affected by this," said Chavez.

"There needs to beryllium much restrictions enactment into spot arsenic radical person benefits. We request to marque definite that lone those individuals who are qualified and who are present successful the United States are receiving those benefits. Not different individuals who possibly are successful situation oregon unrecorded successful different countries," said Magsig.

As region officials await accusation connected which section programs volition beryllium straight affected, they accidental they're moving to mitigate imaginable impacts.