The Trump administration plans to freeze federal funding for child care and social service programs in five states, including Colorado, according to multiple news reports.
The freeze would affect about $10 billion for the Child Care Development Fund, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, and the Social Services Block Grant program. The affected states besides Colorado are Minnesota, New York, California and Illinois, as reported by The New York Times. The states all have Democratic governors.
The freeze was first reported by the New York Post, which cited unnamed officials.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Colorado leadership had not received communication about the potential freeze from the federal government.
“Beyond reports in the media, the state has not been officially notified of any changes to these funding sources,” Shelby Wieman, a spokesperson for Gov. Jared Polis, wrote in an email. “These resources support families in need and help them access food and much more. If true, it would be awful to see the federal government targeting the most needy families and children this way.”
The freeze would affect about $7 billion in TANF funding, $2.4 billion for the CCDF and $870 million for social services grants, according to the Times.
Therefore, I urge my Republican colleagues to leverage their relationships with the administration to end this blatantly political attack against the most vulnerable families in Colorado.
– U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette of Denver
Colorado, which administers its TANF program through Colorado Works, receives about $136 million in block funding for TANF every year, according to Colorado Department of Human Services spokesperson Haysel Hernandez. In 2024, a Colorado family of three received a maximum monthly TANF benefit of $585, according to the National Center for Children in Poverty.
“The federal government has not yet notified CDHS of any changes to these funding sources. These resources support Colorado families in need and help them access job training, financial support, child care and other important social services on the road to self sufficiency,” Hernandez wrote in an email. “Should these funding sources change, we remain committed to supporting our families in Colorado and will continue to advocate for the appropriate programs and services to help our families thrive.”
Colorado was also allocated about $140 million in federal funds for child care programs last year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That money pays for care for children in low-income families.
The funding freeze follows a surge of fraud cases in Minnesota involving misuse of government funds for safety-net programs.There have not been comparable fraud charges or allegations in Colorado, but fraud reportedly is a justification for the freeze cited by officials.
“For too long, Democrat-led states and Governors have been complicit in allowing massive amounts of fraud to occur under their watch,” DHHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement. “Under the Trump Administration, we are ensuring that federal taxpayer dollars are being used for legitimate purposes. We will ensure these states are following the law and protecting hard-earned taxpayer money.”
In a statement, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Denver Democrat and member of the House Litigation Task Force, said she is “exploring legal action to reverse these unlawful cuts.”
“This devastating freeze will take food from families across the state, in both red and blue areas,” she said. “Therefore, I urge my Republican colleagues to leverage their relationships with the administration to end this blatantly political attack against the most vulnerable families in Colorado.”
Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com.
