A teary-eyed Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth made a plea to constituents today to call their legislators in support of the state Child Care Assistance Program.
Gordon-Booth is the sponsor of Senate Bill 570, which would roll back Governor Bruce Rauner's cuts to CCAP. The bill failed in the House by one vote on Sept. 2.
Gordon-Booth, had her toddler in tow during a press conference at Rogy’s Learning Center on Candletree Dr.
Gordon-Booth says changes to CCAP hurt parents, and specifically, single working mothers.
“I know of many young women that attend Bradley and ICC. They were turned down for childcare, and they’re not going to school right now. They’re not going to work right now," Gordon-Booth said. "You know what they’re on? They’re on welfare.”
Gordon-Booth says she’ll call the bill at the end of the week. It requires a 70 vote super majority to pass.
A Rogy’s spokesperson says 100 kids who are part of the child care assistance program aren’t eligible under the governor’s changes. The majority of those kids have single mothers and are being supplemented with Rogy’s reserve funds.
Gordon-Booth says she’s not giving up, in honor of her deceased colleague Rep. Esther Golar, a Chicago democrat. Rep. Golar made the trip to Springfield from a Chicago hospital for the vote earlier this month.
“Esther made the trip against doctor’s orders," Gordon-Booth said. "And Esther drove back to Northwest Medical Center after that vote, and never left the hospital again.”
Democratic Representative Golar died yesterday.
Gordon-Booth spoke as a tear streamed down her cheek.
"I'm not going to let her memory go in vain," she said.
She says the bill needs bipartisan support to pass.
Sandra Eaton is the director of a Rogy's child care center run by Catholic Charities. Eaton says they’ve had to turn away dozens of parents due to the Governor’s changes to CCAP eligibility requirements. She says a majority of them are single, working mothers.
According to the Department of Human Services, the average cost of childcare is about $12,000 a year.