U.S. President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attend a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission event, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 22, 2025.
Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters
The Trump administration on Tuesday night said it was freezing $10 billion in federal grant funds for certain child care and family assistance programs in five states because of “serious concerns about widespread fraud” in state-administered programs.
All five states targeted by the freeze — California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York — are led by Democrats.
The action applies to three programs overseen by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department’s Administration for Children and Families: Child Care and Development Fund, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and Social Services Block Grant.
“Families who rely on child care and family assistance programs deserve confidence that these resources are used lawfully and for their intended purpose,” said Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill in a statement.
“This action reflects our commitment to program integrity, fiscal responsibility, and compliance with federal requirements,” O’Neill said.
More than $7.3 billion in TANF funds have been frozen, and nearly $2.4 billion in CCDF funds have been frozen. Nearly $840 million in Social Services Block Grant funding was frozen.
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