New York families could lose access to child care and critical social services as federal funding remains frozen, prompting a sharp response from the state’s top U.S. senators.
U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer are calling on the Trump administration to immediately reverse a decision to withhold more than $3.4 billion in federal child care and social services funding from New York. The freeze is part of a broader action affecting five states and more than $10 billion nationwide.
The senators say the funding freeze puts hundreds of thousands of children, families, and care providers at risk. The money supports programs under the Child Care and Development Fund, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and the Social Services Block Grant.
What’s at stake for New York
According to the senators, the freeze threatens child care assistance for more than 219,000 children across New York. Thousands of child care providers, many of them small businesses, rely on timely federal payments and could be forced to reduce hours, lay off staff, or shut down entirely if delays continue.
The funding also supports cash assistance and employment programs serving more than 300,000 children and adults statewide, along with foster care, adoption services, and domestic violence prevention programs that reach more than 200,000 vulnerable children and adults.
Gillibrand said the administration’s move threatens working parents who depend on affordable child care to stay employed and provide for their families.
“Our children deserve better than to be used as political pawns,” she said, calling the freeze reckless and harmful to families already struggling with rising costs.
Claims of fraud challenged
The Trump administration has cited concerns about “extensive and systemic fraud” to justify the freeze, but Gillibrand and Schumer say no evidence has been provided. In a formal letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the senators demanded details on any alleged fraud, including who is investigating it and when such investigations began.
They also questioned why funding was halted without following established oversight procedures, such as conducting investigations and allowing states to respond before cutting off funds.
Court action already underway
New York and other affected states filed suit earlier this month, arguing the freeze is unlawful and targets Democratic-led states. A federal judge has already issued an emergency injunction temporarily blocking the administration from freezing access to the funds while the case moves forward.
Still, the senators warn that even short-term delays can destabilize an already strained child care and social safety net system.
“Simply withholding funds will not fix fraud,” Gillibrand and Schumer wrote. “Instead, it will destabilize an already fragile child care and social safety net system.”
The senators are demanding a full written response from federal officials by the end of the month and say they will continue pressing for the immediate release of the funds New York families rely on.
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