June 2023- Just the Facts

Summary

Total cases receiving Public Assistance in Illinois climbed 170,662 cases (257,798 persons) in June 2023 from June 2022. Aided cases numbered 2,421,383
(3,877,817 persons) in June 2023, up 7.58% from year-earlier totals.

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

  • Total TANF Benefits: There were 27,378 TANF cases (76,108 persons) in June 2023, down 189 cases and down 437 persons from May 2023. The caseload is 2.68% lower than the June 2022 total.
  • TANF-Basic: In June 2023, TANF-Basic (primarily single-parent) families decreased, from May 2023, by 2,999 cases (12,376 persons) for a total of 24,568 cases (64,169 persons).
  • Two-Parent Cases: Two-parent cases increased in June 2023 by 23 cases (108 persons) from May 2023 for a total of 2,810 cases (11,939 persons).
  • Approvals: There were 2,371 assistance approvals this month, including 1,518 new grants (up 34 since May 2023) and 302 reinstatements (down 47 since May 2023). A reinstatement is defined as approval of any case that was active within the previous 24 months.
  • TANF Cancelled due to earnings: In June 2023 there were 286 cases cancelled due to earnings from new employer or increased earnings from an existing employer.
  • Total Grant amount: $15,184,204 was the total in June 2023. This is $684,322 more than the total in May 2023. June 2023 shows a 22.84% increase from June 2022.

Assistance to the Aged, Blind or Disabled (AABD)

The total number of AABD Cash cases in June 2023 is up 689 cases or 3.78% from the number of cases a year earlier.

  • AABD Case Details: AABD Cash cases increased by 143 cases in June 2023 from May 2023 for a total of 18,913 cases. This total includes 8,923 persons who qualified for Old Age Assistance; 169 persons who qualified for Blind Assistance; and 9,821 persons who qualified for Disability Assistance. The total grant amount increased by 0.06% from May 2023 ($2,713,086) to June 2023 ($2,714,766).

Medical Assistance - No Grant (MANG)

June 2023 had a program total of 2,278,800 cases (3,652,393 persons). Of the total MANG cases, there were 63,088 cases (102,588 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 June 2023 show an 8.25% increase (173,799 cases) since June 2022.

  • MANG: MANG recipients represent 94.09% of total cases and 94.10% of total persons in June 2023. In June 2022, MANG recipients represented 93.52% of total cases.
  • Family Health Plans: In June 2023, families increased by 4,386 to 887,083 cases from totals 882,697 in May 2023. Persons increased 11,087 in June 2023 to 2,208,564 persons.
  • ACA Adult: ACA Adult saw an increase of 5,841 cases from May 2023 for a total of 940,836 cases in June 2023. Persons increased by 6,044 for a June 2023 total of 974,459 persons.
  • AABD Clients: AABD customers who were categorically qualified for Medical Only, decreased 0.02% in June 2023 from May 2023 to 450,881.
  • 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 1,087,454 Illinois households (2,007,034 persons) in June 2023. This is an increase of 3,239 households from June 2022 levels.
  • A total of 96,292 households (130,403 persons) received SNAP with no other assistance in June 2023. This is a decrease of 4,543 households from June 2022 levels.
  • The total SNAP assistance amount for June 2023 was $382,212,051. This is a decrease of $165,798,465 from June 2022.

Fiscal Year 2023 Summary of Cases and Persons as of June 2023

Program Cases Persons
TANF 27,378 76,108
AABD Cash 18,913 18,913
Family Health Plans 887,083 2,208,564
AABD MANG 450,881 469,370
ACA 940,836 974,459
SNAP with no other assistance 96,292 130,403
Foster Care N/A N/A
Refugees Cash & Medical 5,514 5,514
Total 2,426,897 3,883,137

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 May 2023, an estimated 124,941 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 May 2023, an estimated 4,543 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 May 2023, there were 222 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 4,805 households in shelters during the January-March 2023 quarter. Of those, 532 were households with children.
  • The Emergency Food Program served 277,974 households (duplicative) in June 2023.
  • The Homeless Prevention Program helps families in existing homes and helps others secure affordable housing. During the January-March 2023 quarter, 926 households were served. Of those, 407 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 January-March 2023 quarter, 732 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 4,588 in June 2023.
  • Of the refugees served, 64 received employment services, and 42 of the client's entering employment were still employed 90 days later from January-March 2023.
  • The Outreach and Interpretation project assures access to IDHS benefits. This program has served 4,311 in June 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 584 families/customers during the January-March 2023 quarter.
  • The Estimated Donated Funds Initiative aided 3,163 customers with 50,117 rides provided for Senior's during the January-March 2023 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 Interventions

Indicator May
2023
SFY 2022
Average
SFY 2021
Average
Referrals 3,253 3,206 2,747
Active IFSP's 24,178 21,174 17,814
0-3 Participation Rate 5.67% 7.22% 6.25%
Under 1 Participation Rate 1.38% 1.12% 0.93%
% With Medicaid 52.60% 51.40% 50.48%
% With Insurance 39.20% 40.10% 39.78%
% With Fees 30.60% 30.80% 28.96%

What's New in EI

The Bureau continues to update current policy and procedure to support changes in legislation. At this time, our focus is on updating policy to support two additions to our Rule. This includes Public Act 102-0926, which enabled auto-eligibility for any child under three who is the subject of a substantiated case of child abuse or neglect and Public Act 102-0962, which clarifies timeframes for the initiation of Early Intervention Services to begin as soon as possible, but not later than 30 calendar days after consent is received.

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 May 2023
Pregnant Women 15,017
Breastfeeding Women 13,889
Postpartum Women 9,092
Infants 44,003
Children 85,697
Total 169,698

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 May 2023

Family Case Management Total
Cook County 16,421
Downstate 34,253
Statewide 50,674

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.