Summary
Total cases receiving Public Assistance in Illinois climbed 188,760 cases (291,923 persons) in August 2021 from August 2020. Aided cases numbered 2,117,254 (3,419,735 persons) in August 2021, up 9.79% from year-earlier totals.
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
- Total TANF Benefits: There were 25,818 TANF cases (69,503 persons) in August 2021, down 126 cases and 1,202 persons from July 2021. The caseload was .49% lower than the August 2020 total.
- TANF-Basic: In August 2021, TANF-Basic (primarily single-parent) families decreased, from July 2021, by 142 cases (449 persons) for a total of 24,445 cases (63,330 persons).
- Two-Parent Cases: Two-parent cases increased in August 2021 by 16 cases (62 persons) from July 2021 for a total of 1,373 cases (6,173 persons).
- Approvals: There were 1,394 assistance approvals this month, including 680 new grants (down 8 since July 2021) and 201 reinstatements (down 61 since June 2021). A reinstatement is defined as approval of any case that was active within the previous 24 months.
- TANF Cancelled due to earnings: In August 2021 there were 114 cases cancelled due to earnings from new employer or increased earnings from an existing employer.
- Total Grant amount: $10,836,638 was the total in August 2021. This is $251,274 less than the total in July 2021. August 2021 shows a 5.02% decrease from August 2020.
Assistance to the Aged, Blind or Disabled (AABD)
The total number of August 2021 AABD Cash cases was down 1,417 cases or -7.26% from the number of cases a year earlier.
* AABD Case Details: AABD Cash cases decreased by 16 cases in August 2021 from July 2021 for a total of 18,102 cases. This total includes 8,800 persons who qualified for Old Age Assistance; 131 persons who qualified for Blind Assistance; and 9,171 persons who qualified for Disability Assistance. The total grant amount shows a 8.96% decrease from July 2021 ($2,375,823) to August 2021 ($2,162,865).
Medical Assistance - No Grant (MANG)
August 2021 had a program total of 1,973,061 cases (3,196,477 persons). Of the total MANG cases, there were 78,677 cases (132,430 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 August 2021 show a 11.52% increase (203,843 cases) since August 2020.
- MANG: MANG recipients represent 93.19% of total cases and 93.47% of total persons in August 2021. In August 2020, MANG recipients represented 91.74% of total cases.
- Family Health Plans: Families increased in August 2021 by 5,672 to 792,616 cases from totals in July 2021. Persons also increased 14,259 in August 2021 to 1,976,933 persons.
- ACA Adult: ACA Adult saw an increase of 7,068 cases from July 2021 for a total of 820,249 cases in August. Persons increased by 7,182 for an August 2021 total of 847,988 persons.
- AABD Clients: AABD customers who were categorically qualified for Medical Only, increased 0.65% in August 2021 from July 2021 to 360,196 cases.
- Foster Care: Foster Care Assistance totals were not available at the time of this report.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Child Care Pandemic EBT (PEBT) began being issued in June 2021. http://intranet.dhs.illinois.gov/onenet/page.aspx?item=135548
- SNAP Assistance was given to 2,081,634 Illinois households (2,810,935 persons) in August 2021. This is an increase of 1,009,249 households from August 2020 levels.
- A total of 100,273 households (135,653 persons) received SNAP with no other assistance in August 2021. This is a decrease of 12,994 households from August 2020 levels.
- The total SNAP assistance amount for August 2021 was $1,003,479,979. This is an increase of $649,796,097* from August 2020.
FISCAL YEAR 2022 SUMMARY OF CASES AND PERSONS AS OF August 2021
| Program |
Cases |
Persons |
| TANF |
25,818 |
69,503 |
| AABD Cash |
18,102 |
18,102 |
| Family Health Plans |
792,616 |
1,976,933 |
| AABD MANG |
360,196 |
371,556 |
| ACA |
820,249 |
847,988 |
| SNAP with no other assistance |
100,273 |
135,653 |
| Foster Care |
N/A |
N/A |
| Refugees Cash & Medical |
99 |
99 |
| Total |
2,117,353 |
3,419,834 |
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 July 2021, an estimated 93,402 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 July 2021, an estimated 5,938 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 July 2021, there were 152 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 1,881 households in shelters during the April through June 2021 Quarter. Of those, 144 were households with children.
- The Emergency Food Program served 141,525 households (duplicative) in August 2021.
- The Homeless Prevention Program helps families in existing homes and helps others secure affordable housing. During the April - June 2021 quarter, 2,233 households were served. Of those, 790 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 April - June 2021 quarter, 883,441 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 1,416 clients in July 2021. (August stats not available at the time of this report.)
- Of the refugees served, 399 received employment services, and 71% of the clients entering employment were still employed 90 days later from April - June 2021.
- The Outreach and Interpretation project assures access to IDHS benefits. This program has served 3,390 in July 2021. (August stats not available at the time of this report.)
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 792 families/customers during the April - June 2021 quarter.
- The Estimated Donated Funds Initiative aided 3,059 customers with 28,788 rides provided for Senior's during the April - June 2021 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
| Indicator |
July 2021 |
SFY 2021 Average |
SFY 2020 Average |
| Referrals |
3,073 |
2,747 |
2,813 |
| Active IFSP's |
19,400 |
17,814 |
22,474 |
| 0-3 Participation Rate |
6.62% |
6.25% |
10.41% |
| Under 1 Participation Rate |
1.02% |
0.93% |
1.30% |
| % With Medicaid |
50.6% |
50.48% |
51.2% |
| % With Insurance |
40.3% |
39.78% |
38.8% |
| % With Fees |
30.1% |
28.96% |
28.8% |
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 July 2021 |
| Pregnant Women |
13,345 |
| Breastfeeding Women |
10,460 |
| Postpartum Women |
10,159 |
| Infants |
43,046 |
| Children |
73,215 |
| Total |
150,225 |
What's New in WIC
The WIC Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) implementation was completed on September 28, 2020. This included the creation of a new management information system called I-WIC that replaced the old Cornerstone system. Since then WIC staff have been working with local WIC agencies to address training and system issues in the Clinic modules in I-WIC that have arisen to ensure a quality customer experience. Central office staff have also been reviewing and resolving I-WIC system training, documentation and related issues with the Vendor, Administration, and Nutrition modules. USDA was very pleased that the Illinois WIC Program was still able to implement WIC EBT during the Covid-19 pandemic meeting the federal mandate.
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 June 2021
|
Total |
| Cook County |
11,922 |
| Downstate |
18,782 |
| Statewide |
30,704 |
Of the 30,704 total participants, 24,405 were Medicaid and 6,299 were Non-Medicaid. (Updated statistics for July 2021 were not available at the time of this report).
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
