Summary
Total cases receiving Public Assistance in Illinois climbed 279,080 cases (439,030 persons) in February 2021 from February 2020. Aided cases numbered 2,049,001 (3,315,215 persons) in February 2021, up 15.77% from year-earlier totals.
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
- Total TANF Benefits: There were 28,774 TANF cases (78,004 persons) in February 2021, down 67 cases and 162 persons from January 2021. The caseload was 27.96% higher than the February 2020 total.
- TANF-Basic: In February 2021, TANF-Basic (primarily single-parent) families decreased, from January 2021, by 68 cases (140 persons) for a total of 27,271 cases (71,292 persons).
- Two-Parent Cases: Two-parent cases increased in February 2021 by 1 (decreased by 22 persons) from January 2021 for a total of 1,503 cases (6,712 persons).
- Approvals: There were 1,195 assistance approvals this month, including 544 new grants (down 212 since January 2021) and 158 reinstatements (down 88 since January 2021). A reinstatement is defined as approval of any case that was active within the previous 24 months.
- TANF Cancelled due to earnings: In February 2021 there were 134 cases cancelled due to earnings from new employer or increased earnings from an existing employer.
- Total Grant amount: $12,749,422 was the total in February 2021. This is $70,435 less than the total in January 2021. February 2021 shows a 38.18% increase from February 2020.
Assistance to the Aged, Blind or Disabled (AABD)
The total number of February 2021 AABD Cash cases was down 295 cases or -1.54% from the number of cases a year earlier.
- AABD Case Details: AABD cash cases decreased by 90 cases in February 2021 from January 2021 for a total of 18,847 cases. This total includes 9,157 persons who qualified for Old Age Assistance; 133 persons who qualified for Blind Assistance; and 9,558 persons who qualified for Disability Assistance. The total grant amount shows a .14% decrease from January 2021 ($2,251,881) to February 2021 ($2,248,709).
Medical Assistance - No Grant (MANG)
February 2021 had a program total of 1,889,052 cases (3,062,472 persons). Of the total MANG cases, there were 75,776 cases (128,731 MANG persons) in All Kids, Disabled Workers, Breast and Cervical Cancer, Veteran Care, Medically Fragile Technology Dependent, and Department of Corrections programs. Overall, MANG cases in February 2021 show a 14.57% increase (240,165 cases) since February 2020.
- MANG: MANG recipients represent 92.19% of total cases and 92.38% of total persons in February 2021. In February 2020, MANG recipients represented 93.16% of total cases.
- Family Health Plans: Families increased in February 2021 by 5,920 to 761,742 cases from totals in January 2021. Persons also increased 14,269 in February to 1,898,495 persons.
- ACA Adult: ACA Adult saw an increase of 13,579 cases from January 2021 for a total of 778,524 cases in February. Persons increased by 14,033 for a February 2021 total of 805,248 persons.
- AABD Clients: AABD customers who were categorically qualified for Medical Only increased 0.48% in February 2021 from January 2021 to 348,786 cases.
- Foster Care: Foster Care Assistance totals were not available at the time of this report.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- SNAP Assistance was given to 1,112,172 Illinois households (2,072,359 persons) in February 2021. This is an increase of 224,419 households from February 2020 levels.
- A total of 120,248 households (163,812 persons) received SNAP with no other assistance in February 2021. This is an increase of 40,842 households from February 2020 levels.
- The total SNAP assistance amount for February 2021 was $434,625,796*. This is an increase of $215,337,284 from February 2020.
FISCAL YEAR 2021 SUMMARY OF CASES AND PERSONS AS OF FEBRUARY 2021
| PROGRAM |
CASES |
PERSONS |
| TANF |
28,774 |
78,004 |
| AABD CASH |
18,847 |
18,847 |
| FAMILY HEALTH PLANS |
761,742 |
1,898,495 |
| AABD MANG |
348,786 |
358,729 |
| ACA |
778,524 |
805,248 |
| SNAP with no other assistance |
120,248 |
163,812 |
| FOSTER CARE |
N/A |
N/A |
| REFUGEES CASH & MEDICAL |
72 |
72 |
| TOTAL |
2,056,993 |
3,323,207 |
Child Care1
Child Care Services are available to families with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Families must be working or enrolled in approved education or training activities. Families cost-share with co-payments based on income and family size. Services are delivered through a certificate program and a site-administered contract system.
- The Certificate Program eligibility is determined by resource and referral agencies. Parents choose subsidized full or part-time care from any legal care provider that meets their needs. Providers include child-care centers, family homes, group child-care home and in-home and relative care. In January 2021, an estimated 92,320 children were served by certificate.
- The Site-Administered Contract Program serves families through a statewide network of contracted licensed centers and family homes. Families apply for care directly with the contracted providers and eligibility is determined on-site by the provider. In January 2021, an estimated 3,659 children were served by contract.
- The Migrant Head Start Program provides childcare and health and social services for preschool children of migrant and seasonal farm workers. Services are provided by local community-based agencies. In January 2021, there were 158 children enrolled in Migrant and Seasonal Head Start.
Emergency Food, Shelter and Support
Homeless families and individuals receive food, shelter, and support services through local not-for-profit organizations. A "continuum of care" includes emergency and transitional housing and assistance in gaining self-sufficiency and permanent housing.
- The Emergency and Transitional Housing Program served 2,686 households in shelters during October through December 2020. Of those, 523 were households with children.
- The Emergency Food Program served 161,541 households (duplicative) in February 2021.
- The Homeless Prevention Program helps families in existing homes and helps others secure affordable housing. During October - December 2020, 1,081 households were served. Of those, 502 were families (Households with children under age 18).
- The Supportive Housing Program funds governments and agencies which serve families and transitional facility residents. In the October-December 2020 quarter, 808,493 nights of Supportive Housing were provided.
- The Refugee and Immigrant Citizenship Initiative funds the provision of English language, civics and U.S. history instruction as well as application services. This program has served 8,994 clients in February 2021.
- Of the refugees served, 377 received employment services, and 77.9% of the clients entering employment were still employed 90 days later from October 2020 - December 2020.
- The Outreach and Interpretation Project assures access to IDHS benefits. This program has served 5,033 in February 2021.
Social Service Block Grants
Service funding is provided through the Federal Title XX Social Services Block Grant to manage and monitor contracts which help customers achieve economic self-support and prevent or remedy abuse and neglect.
- Crisis Nurseries served 198 customers during the October - December 2020 quarter.
- The Estimated Donated Funds Initiative aided 1,288 customers with 21,285 rides provided for Senior's during the October - December 2020 quarter.
Early Intervention (EI)1
The Illinois Early Intervention (EI) program serves infants and toddlers ages birth to 3 years old with developmental delays or disabilities and their family in one or more of the following areas of development: adaptive, cognitive, communication/speech, physical and social emotional. EI is part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part C for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities. Annually, the EI program serves approximately 23,000 children throughout the state and maintains 25 regional intake entities called Child and Family Connections (CFC) offices. CFCs handle referrals, intake and service coordination for infants and toddlers referred to EI and coordinates the eligibility determination process and manages eligible infants and toddlers with Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs)through transition.
Early Intervention services include, but are not limited to developmental evaluations and assessments, communication/speech therapy, developmental therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, service coordination, psychological, and other counseling services, and assistive technology. Evaluations, assessments, service plan development and service coordination are provided to families at no cost. Ongoing EI services are paid for by public insurance (i.e., Medicaid/All Kids), a family's private health insurance, when appropriate, state general revenue and other program funds. Families are assessed a family participation fee based on a sliding scale which considers their ability to pay.
Program Statistics - Early Intervention - (All the January 2021 stats were not available at the time of this report)
| Indicator |
January 2021 |
SFY 2020 Average |
SFY 2019 Average |
| Referrals |
2,914 |
2,813 |
3,333 |
| Active IFSP's |
16,945 |
22,474 |
22,812 |
| 0-3 Participation Rate |
- |
10.41% |
4.88% |
| Under 1 Participation Rate |
- |
1.30% |
1.38% |
| % With Medicaid |
- |
51.2% |
52.0% |
| % With Insurance |
- |
38.8% |
39.1% |
| % With Fees |
- |
28.8% |
28.5% |
What's New in EI
The Bureau is finalizing our State Systemic Improvement Plan to improve child outcomes through two coherent improvement strategies of implementing the Child Outcomes Survey practice with fidelity and to have Family Engagement processes developed, measured, and put into practice. This work aligns with evidence-based services utilizing the Division of Early Childhood's Recommended Practices.
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)1
The purpose of WIC is to provide nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding promotion and support, nutritious supplemental foods, and referrals to services for eligible pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children to age five. The program has been housed under the Department of Human Services since 1997. To be eligible, participants must be at 185% of the federal poverty level, be a resident of the State of Illinois, and have a nutrition risk.
Program Statistics - WIC
| Eligibility Category |
Clients in January 2021 |
| Pregnant Women |
13,529 |
| Breastfeeding Women |
2,725 |
| Postpartum Women |
20,224 |
| Infants |
45,853 |
| Children |
74,184 |
| Total |
156,515 |
What's New in WIC
WIC Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) implementation activities are underway and include the creation of a new management information system (MIS) to replace the existing Cornerstone system. USDA has mandated full implementation of EBT by October 1, 2020. The Pilot roll-out of both the EBT and MIS began March 16, 2020 in DHS Region 4. We are currently set to go live in the last DHS Region to be converted, Region 1 - Cook County on Tuesday, September 8.
Family Case Management1
The program target population is low income families (below 200% of the federal poverty level) with a pregnant woman, an infant. The goals of the program are to help women have healthy babies and to reduce the rates of infant mortality and very low birth weight. To achieve these goals the program conducts outreach activities to inform expectant women and new mothers of available services and then assists them with obtaining prenatal and well-childcare. The program works with community agencies to address barriers to accessing medical services, such as childcare, transportation, housing, food, mental health needs and substance abuse services. Services are provided statewide through local Health Departments, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and community-based organizations. Home visits by program staff are provided in the first year of life.
Program Statistics - Family Case Management - Active Participant Counts for January 2021
| Location |
Total |
| Cook County |
11,984 |
| Downstate |
18,806 |
| Statewide |
30,790 |
Of the 30,790 total Statewide participants, 23,722 were Medicaid participants and 6,587 were Non-Medicaid.
-Bureau of Program & Performance Management
1 Current month's Child Care, Early Intervention, Women, Infants, and Children, and Family Case Management data is not released until the end of the following month resulting in a one-month lag for this report.
* Increase due to COVID19 - see Policy Memo - http://intranet.dhs.illinois.gov/oneweb/page.aspx?item=123562
