September 2022-Just the Facts

Summary

Total cases receiving Public Assistance in Illinois climbed 172,276 cases (247,675 persons) in September 2022 from September 2021. Aided cases numbered 2,299,516 (3,684,441 persons) in September 2022, up 8.09% from year-earlier totals.

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

  • Total TANF Benefits: There were 26,860 TANF cases (74,494 persons) in September 2022, up 121 cases and up 418 persons from August 2022. The caseload is 3.28% higher than the September2021 total.
  • TANF-Basic: In September 2022, TANF-Basic (primarily single-parent) families increased, from August 2022, by 58 cases (183 persons) for a total of 24,989 cases (65,899 persons).
  • Two-Parent Cases: Two-parent cases increased in September 2022 by 63 cases (235 persons) from August 2022 for a total of 1,871 cases (8,595 persons).
  • Approvals: There were 1,524 assistance approvals this month, including 1,023 new grants (up 95 since August 2022) and 253 reinstatements (up 22 since August 2022). A reinstatement is defined as approval of any case that was active within the previous 24 months.
  • TANF Cancelled due to earnings: In September 2022 there were 190 cases cancelled due to earnings from new employer or increased earnings from an existing employer.
  • Total Grant amount: $12,092,640 was the total in September 2022. This is same as the total in August 2022. September 2022 shows a 9.20% decrease from September 2021.

Assistance to the Aged, Blind or Disabled (AABD)

The total number of AABD Cash cases in September 2022 was up 270 cases or 1.48% from the number of cases a year earlier.

  • AABD Case Details: AABD Cash cases increased by 121 cases in September 2022 from August 2022 for a total of 18,393 cases. This total includes 8,725 persons who qualified for Old Age Assistance; 144 persons who qualified for Blind Assistance; and 9,524 persons who qualified for Disability Assistance. The total grant amount shows no change from August 2022 ($2,502,838) to September 2022 ($2,502,838).

Medical Assistance - No Grant (MANG)

September 2022 had a program total of 2,153,297 cases (3,453,959 persons). Of the total MANG cases, there were 56,899 cases (97,636 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 September 2022 show an 8.43% increase (167,415 cases) since September 2021.

  • MANG: MANG recipients represent 93.64% of total cases and 93.74% of total persons in September 2022.  In September 2021, MANG recipients represented 93.35% of total cases.
  • Family Health Plans: In September 2022, families increased by 4,711 to 842,544 cases from totals in August 2022. Persons also increased 12,654 in September 2022 to 2,095,873 persons.
  • ACA Adult: ACA Adult saw an increase of 7,645 cases from August 2022 for a total of 923,935 cases in September 2022. Persons increased by 7,9398 for September 2022 total of 957,208 persons.
  • AABD Clients: AABD customers who were categorically qualified for Medical Only, increased .66% in September 2022 from August 2022 to 386,818 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 1,090,161 Illinois households (2,018,799 persons) in September 2022. This is a decrease of 53,139 households from September 2021 levels.
  • A total of 100,966 households (137,595 persons) received SNAP with no other assistance in September 2022. This is a increase of 3,737 households from September 2021 levels.
  • The total SNAP assistance amount for September 2022 was $504,742,790. This is a decrease of $18,119,297 from September 2021.

Fiscal Year 2022 Summary of Cases and Persons as of September 2022

Program Cases Person
TANF 26,860 74,494
AABD Cash 18,393 18,393
Family Health Plans 842,544 2,095,873
AABD MANG 386,818 400,878
ACA 923,935 957,208
SNAP with no other assistance 100,966 137,595
Foster Care N/A N/A
Refugees Cash & Medical 2,039 2,039
Total 3,301,555 3,686,480

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 August 2022, an estimated 109,040 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 August, an estimated 4,945 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 August 2022, there were 154 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 7,104 households in shelters during the July through September 2022 Quarter. Of those, 1,253 were households with children.
  • The Emergency Food Program served 228,881 households (duplicative) in September 2022.
  • The Homeless Prevention Program helps families in existing homes and helps others secure affordable housing. During the July-September 2022 quarter, 898 households were served. Of those, 499 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 July-September 2022 quarter, 5,401 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 3,075 clients in September 2022.
  • Of the refugees served, 113 received employment services, and 69 of the client's entering employment were still employed 90 days later from July-September 2022.
  • The Outreach and Interpretation project assures access to IDHS benefits. This program has served 4,669 in September 2022.

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 744 families/customers during the July-September 2022 quarter.
  • The Estimated Donated Funds Initiative aided 4,019 customers with 49,191 rides provided for Senior's during the July-September 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 Statistics - Early Intervention

Indicator August
2022
SFY 2021
Average
SFY 2020
Average
Referrals 3,675 2,747 2,813
Active IFSP's 23,232 17,814 22,474
0-3 Participation Rate 7.92% 6.25% 10.41%
Under 1 Participation Rate 1.24% 0.93% 1.30%
% With Medicaid 52.0% 50.48% 51.2%
% With Insurance 39.9% 39.78% 38.8%
% With Fees 30.3% 28.96% 28.8%

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:

  1.  has been determined eligible for early intervention, and
  2.  has their third birthday between May 1 and August 31 and
  3.  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.

Program Statistics-WIC

Eligibility Category Clients in August 2022
Pregnant Women 14,703
Breastfeeding Women 13,316
Postpartum Women 8,726
Infants 43,524
Children 80,221
Total 160,490

 What's New in WIC

It has been 2 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 most exciting news has been the increase in the dollar value of the fruit and vegetable benefits provided to WIC participants. Started in June 2021 as a temporary increase, it has now been extended through September 2022 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 August 2022

Family Case Managment Total
Cook County 16,216
Downstate 31,220
Statewide 38,514

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.