Millions Face Aid Cuts, Child Care Crisis Deepens

Recent policy changes and funding shortfalls are jeopardizing access to critical support services for children and families in the U.S. and abroad. In Mississippi, the state has restricted new applications for its Child Care Assistance Program to only the most vulnerable groups, leaving thousands of working families like Sequaya Coleman's without aid due to budget constraints following the expiration of pandemic relief funding. Similarly, New York's child care voucher program received a $400 million boost, but advocates warn that this is far from resolving the broader childcare crisis as more families risk being turned away. These strains are compounded for families of children with disabilities, who are nearly twice as likely to experience financial hardship and face higher rates of delayed or forgone care due to costs, indicating inadequacies in current insurance and assistance systems. Internationally, massive U.S. aid cuts have left children like Ahmad in Jordan without essential rehabilitation services, highlighting the global impact of reduced funding for vulnerable populations. Collectively, these developments underscore the growing challenges faced by families seeking child care and disability support amid tightening public budgets.