The Trump administration's abrupt freeze on federal childcare payments has provoked intense criticism from state officials, legal experts and family advocacy groups, who warn the decision will strand working parents, particularly women, and jeopardise access to essential childcare services.
Trump's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced at the end of December that it had activated a new 'defend-the-spend system' for childcare funding, requiring states to provide detailed verification, including attendance records, licences and receipts, before any federal payments are released.
