California Democrats to Trump Administration: Immediately restore childcare funding
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) and 41 members of the House California Democratic Caucus today called on the Trump administration to restore illegally canceled congressionally authorized and appropriated childcare and social services funds.
This week, the Department of Health and Human Services froze $10 billion in funding to five states – California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York – claiming fraud without providing any evidence.
“This funding was authorized and appropriated by Congress, and you are required by law to distribute it,” the members wrote.
“This partisan attack alleges that “Democrat-led states… have been complicit in allowing massive amounts of fraud to occur under their watch” without providing a shred of evidence. We urge you to leave California’s families out of your political attacks, and to reinstate these dollars immediately.”
In addition to Sánchez, the letter was signed by Representatives Pete Aguilar, Nanette Barragán, Ami Bera, Julia Brownley, Salud Carbajal, Judy Chu, Gil Cisneros, Lou Correa, Jim Costa, Mark DeSaulnier, Laura Friedman, John Garamendi, Robert Garcia, Jimmy Gomez, Josh Harder, Jared Huffman, Sara Jacobs, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Ro Khanna, Mike Levin, Sam Liccardo, Ted Lieu, Zoe Lofgren, Doris Matsui, Dave Min, Kevin Mullin, Jimmy Panetta, Nancy Pelosi, Scott Peters, Luz Rivas, Raul Ruiz, Brad Sherman, Lateefah Simon, Eric Swalwell, Mark Takano, Mike Thompson, Norma Torres, Derek Tran, Juan Vargas, Maxine Waters and George Whitesides (all D-Calif.).
Full text of the letter is available HERE and follows:
January 8, 2026
The Honorable Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20201
Alex J. Adams, PharmD, MPH
Assistant Secretary
Administration for Children and Families
330 C Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Dear Secretary Kennedy and Assistant Secretary Adams,
As Members of the California Delegation, we write in strong opposition to the illegal cancelation of congressionally authorized and appropriated childcare and social services funds. Between noticed cancelations of Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funds, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds, and social services grants, the Trump Administration is cutting billions in critical childcare and social services funds to California.
We urge the Health and Human Services Department to restore these funds immediately and ensure that Californians have the same access to childcare as every other state. Childcare access is a lifeline for working families, and cutting funding will hurt children, parents, and workers across California. In California alone, CCDBG funds serve almost 90,000 children, and TANF serves over 290,000 families. These programs are vital lifelines for Californians, and their funding should not be cut over unsubstantiated allegations of fraud.
TANF is one of the country’s largest funding sources for childcare, providing over a quarter of childcare funds nationwide. These cuts will decimate California’s childcare industry and harm countless children and families across the state. CalWORKS, California’s TANF program, also provides vital cash assistance to struggling Californians each month to help pay for food, housing, and other necessities. SSBG programs provide Californians with disability services, foster care and child welfare services, and child care. These funds help keep families afloat, and cutting their benefits without cause is nothing more than political theater.
There are legitimate legal courses of action should fraud exist in California, but none of those legal processes have taken place. For childcare funds, 42 U.S. Code § 9858g (b)(2)(A) and (b)(2)(B) require “reasonable notice to a State and opportunity for a hearing,” neither of which have taken place. 42 U.S. Code § 609 requires an audit be conducted “under chapter 75 of title 31,” and states that “if the State does not prove to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the State did not use the amount in violation… the Secretary shall further reduce the grant payable to the State” – no such audit has taken place in California. This funding was authorized and appropriated by Congress, and you are required by law to distribute it.
This partisan attack alleges that “Democrat-led states… have been complicit in allowing massive amounts of fraud to occur under their watch” without providing a shred of evidence. We urge you to leave California’s families out of your political attacks, and to reinstate these dollars immediately.
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