Summary
Total cases receiving Public Assistance in Illinois climbed 180,344 cases (265,794 persons) in February 2023 from February 2022. Aided cases numbered 2,384,955 (3,814,793 persons) in February 2023, up 8.18% from year-earlier totals.
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
- Total TANF Benefits: There were 27,896 TANF cases (77,837 persons) in February 2023, up 69 cases and up 225 persons from January 2023. The caseload is 0.50% higher than the February 2022 total.
- TANF-Basic: In February 2023, TANF-Basic (primarily single-parent) families decreased, from January 2023, by 82 cases (345 persons) for a total of 25,222 cases (66,369 persons).
- Two-Parent Cases: Two-parent cases increased in February 2023 by 151 cases (590 persons) from January 2023 for a total of 2,674 cases (11,468 persons).
- Approvals: There were 2,181 assistance approvals this month, including 1,504 new grants (down 229 since January 2023) and 262 reinstatements (down 78 since January 2023). A reinstatement is defined as approval of any case that was active within the previous 24 months.
- TANF Cancelled due to earnings: In February 2023 there were 243 cases cancelled due to earnings from new employer or increased earnings from an existing employer.
- Total Grant amount: $16,005,054 was the total in February 2023. This is $853,661 more than the total in January 2023. February 2023 shows a 30.26% increase from February 2022.
Assistance to the Aged, Blind or Disabled (AABD)
The total number of AABD Cash cases in February 2023 is up 171 cases or 0.93% from the number of cases a year earlier.
- AABD Case Details: AABD Cash cases increased by 81 cases in February 2023 from January 2023 for a total of 18,495 cases. This total includes 8,756 persons who qualified for Old Age Assistance; 147 persons who qualified for Blind Assistance; and 9,592 persons who qualified for Disability Assistance. The total grant amount increased by 1.19% from January 2023 ($2,633,722) to February 2023 ($2,665,228).
Medical Assistance - No Grant (MANG)
February 2023 had a program total of 2,236,622 cases (3,579,932 persons). Of the total MANG cases, there were 60,378 cases (99,941 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 2023 show an 8.69% increase (178,864 cases) since February 2022.
- MANG: MANG recipients represent 93.78% of total cases and 93.84% of total persons in February 2023. In February 2022, MANG recipients represented 93.33% of total cases.
- Family Health Plans: In February 2023, families increased by 5,745 to 870,180 cases from totals in January 2023. Persons also increased 13,685 in February 2023 to 2,162,735 persons.
- ACA Adult: ACA Adult saw an increase of 9,273 cases from January 2023 for a total of 967,744 cases in February 2023. Persons increased by 9,716 for a February 2023 total of 1,003,069 persons.
- AABD Clients: AABD customers who were categorically qualified for Medical Only, increased .42% in February 2023 from January 2023 to 398,698 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 1,132,841 Illinois households (2,079,718 persons) in February 2023. This is a increase of 61,277 households from February 2022 levels.
- A total of 101,942 households (138,529 persons) received SNAP with no other assistance in February 2023. This is an increase of 1,170 households from February 2022 levels.
- The total SNAP assistance amount for February 2023 was $586,474,101. This is an increase of $83,988,321 from February 2022.
FISCAL YEAR 2023 SUMMARY OF CASES AND PERSONS AS OF FEBRUARY 2023
| PROGRAM |
CASES |
PERSONS |
| TANF |
27,896 |
77,837 |
| AABD Cash |
18,495 |
18,495 |
| Family Health Plans |
870,180 |
2,162,735 |
| AABD MANG |
398,698 |
414,128 |
| ACA |
967,744 |
1,003,069 |
| SNAP with no other assistance |
101,942 |
138,529 |
| Foster Care |
N/A |
N/A |
| Refugees Cash & Medical |
5,385 |
5,385 |
| Total |
2,390,340 |
3,820,178 |
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 2023, an estimated 109,833 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 2023, an estimated 4,142 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 2023, there were 179 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 5,011 households in shelters during the October-December 2022 Quarter. Of those, 691 were households with children.
- The Emergency Food Program served 197,252 households (duplicative) in February 2023.
- The Homeless Prevention Program helps families in existing homes and helps others secure affordable housing. During the October-December 2022 quarter, 1,320 households were served. Of those, 736 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 2022 quarter, 865 nights of Supportive Housing were provided.
- The New Americans Initiative funds the provision of English language, civics and U.S. history instruction as well as application services. This program has served 1,461 clients in February 2023.
- Of the refugees served, 40 received employment services, and 101 of the client's entering employment were still employed 90 days later from October-December 2022.
- The Outreach and Interpretation project assures access to IDHS benefits. This program has served 4,025 in February 2023
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 988 families/customers during the October-December 2022 quarter.
- The Estimated Donated Funds Initiative aided 3,108 customers with 48,509 rides provided for Senior's during the October-December 2022 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 Standards-Early Intervention
| Indicator |
January 2023 |
SFY 2022
Average |
SFY 2021
Average |
| Referrals |
3,781 |
3,206 |
2,747 |
| Active IFSP's |
22,842 |
21,174 |
17,814 |
| 0-3 Participation Rate |
5.36% |
7.22% |
6.25% |
| Under 1 Participation Rate |
1.33% |
1.12% |
0.93% |
| % With Medicaid |
52.30% |
51.4% |
50.48% |
| % With Insurance |
39.70% |
40.1% |
39.78% |
| % With Fees |
30.70% |
30.8% |
28.96% |
What's New in EI
The Bureau is ramping up 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.
Early Intervention will begin to provide services to children after they turn three years old if they are eligible for the Early Intervention/Extended Services Program (EI/ES). This option for extended services through Part C to children over age three applies only if the child:
- has been determined eligible for early intervention, and
- has their third birthday between May 1 and August 31 and
- has been found eligible for early childhood special education services under IDEA and Section 14-8.02 of Public Act 102-0209 (Section 11h) and created an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
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.
| Eligibility Category |
Clients in January 2023 |
| Pregnant Women |
13,881 |
| Breastfeeding Women |
13,844 |
| Postpartum Women |
9,141 |
| Infants |
43,128 |
| Children |
83,061 |
| Total |
163,055 |
What's New in WIC
It has been 3 years now since the new WIC Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) implementation was implemented in March 2020. WIC staff have been continuing to work 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 continued to review and resolve I-WIC system documentation and related issues with the Vendor, Administration, and Nutrition modules. The increase in the dollar value of the fruit and vegetable benefits provided to WIC participants has been extended and the dollar value was enhanced. Started in June 2021 as a temporary increase, it has now been extended through September 2023 and allows participants to receive significantly more fresh fruits and vegetables through their Cash Value Benefit (CVB) on their EBT card. Clients have welcomed the increase and it has improved their intake of these nutritious foods.
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 2023
| Family Case Management |
Total |
| Cook County |
17,029 |
| Downstate |
33,595 |
| Statewide |
50,624 |
Bureau of Program & Performance Management
1Current 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.
