WATCH RECORDING

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In case you missed it, the Child Care for Every Family Network hosted a briefing on Wednesday, January 7 with parents, child care providers, and policy experts on the impact of the Trump Administration’s multi-pronged attack on child care based on unsubstantiated fraud allegations. 

In the call, experts outlined how on December 30, 2025, the Trump Administration announced via social media that it would freeze federal child care funding to Minnesota, citing unsubstantiated claims amplified by a single social media influencer. In the days that followed, new reporting revealed that the Administration had expanded this action to California, Colorado, Illinois and New York, pausing billions of dollars in child care and related social services funding in these five states.

Additionally, the Administration also introduced so-called “defend the spend” measures that have already caused major delays to additional states beyond those impacted by the funding freeze, and imposing new, opaque requirements on states nationwide. 

Andrea Paluso, Co-Director of the Child Care for Every Family Network: “Taken together, these actions represent an unprecedented federal assault on child care – one that is already creating fear, confusion, and instability for children, families, providers, and state systems.”

Lydia Boerboom, Kids Count on Us Minnesota: “Let me be clear: Fraud is unacceptable, and real cases have been and should continue to be prosecuted. No credible evidence of current, widespread fraud in Minnesota’s child care system has been presented. Because of the reckless and irresponsible actions of Minnesota’s Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth, self-appointed “journalist” vigilantes are now showing up at the homes and workplaces of child care providers – not only in Minnesota, but in other states as well. This has created an extremely dangerous and destabilizing situation for children and the caregivers entrusted with their safety.”

Christina Valdez, Child Care Provider from Minnesota: “This morning, federal agents have been in child care center parking lots and circling centers increasing fear. This has also been a pretext for sending ICE agents to Minnesota, who shot and killed someone today (January 7, 2026). We literally save empty paper towel rolls for art projects. If the children we serve lose their tuition assistance, it will destabilize our entire budget, like it will for 4,000 other programs.”

Shazia Khalid, parent from New York and member of MomsRising: “I was horrified when I learned the Trump administration is freezing federal child care funding in five states, including New York. I know these federal funds are a critical part of our child care ecosystem. I’m terrified of what this could mean for my family and for working families in my community.”

Dr. Ruth Friedman, The Century Foundation: “What is concerning in reading the letters [from HHS to states regarding the funding freeze]] is that the states very likely don’t have the data being requested on hand because it’s not data that the government has asked them to report previously. So that means that very, very quickly, hundreds of thousands of families across these five states will not have the child care they need, which will have reverberating effects and create chaos. It could be absolutely catastrophic.”

Elliot Haspel, Senior Fellow, Capita: “Cutting off funds to Minnesota and other states seems wildly out of proportion to whatever issues might exist. When you take such a giant boulder down the hill in an attempt to solve a problem — a problem that, quite frankly, there’s not a lot of evidence exists anymore — you are doing a ton of collateral damage.”

Read more about the child care funding freeze and other attacks on child care:

Huff Post: Child Care Providers Raise Alarms About Trump’s Blue-State Funding Freeze

Working parents, child care center operators and their advocates have all reacted with alarm to the Trump administration’s plan to withhold federal child care funding from blue states, warning that low-income families and child care workers will bear the brunt of a political attack.

Vox: How the Minnesota fraud scandal could upend American child care

The video does not actually provide direct evidence of fraud. State investigators visited the centers Shirley highlighted and found children at all but one, which was not yet open for families.

CNN: Trump is freezing funds for small but key welfare program. Here’s what TANF does

It’s not clear why TANF is getting caught up in the administration’s probe into potential fraud in federal child care funding in Minnesota.

Minnesota Star Tribune: Opinion | When ICE comes for our kids’ caregivers, no one is safe

The staff member who was taken by immigration enforcement greeted my kids by name, wiped tears, tied shoes and helped create the stable environment every child deserves.

New Republic: Trump’s Childcare Funding Freezes Are Going to Hit All Kids Hard

The administration added new strings for states to receive funding. This could have ripple effects for all households, not just those with low-income children.

The Century Foundation: Trump’s Child Care Funding Freeze in Five States Could Cost Families $400 Million

Cutting off or slowing child care funding for families will have disastrous impacts for parents, children, the economy, and the labor force.

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The Child Care for Every Family Network is the national movement and campaign to transform child care, representing 2,000+ child care providers and early educators, impacted families, state and national organizations, and organizers across the country. Learn more: childcareforeveryfamily.org.