Summary
Total cases receiving Public Assistance in Illinois decreased 53,000 cases (98,973 persons) in December 2023 from December 2022. Aided cases numbered 2,299,011 (3,665,766 persons) in December 2023, down 2.30% from year-earlier totals.
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
- Total TANF Benefits: There were 26,886 TANF cases (74,671 persons) in December 2023, up 129 case and up 381 persons from November 2023. The caseload is 0.02% lower than the December 2022 total.
- TANF-Basic: In December 2023, TANF-Basic (primarily single-parent) families decreased, from November 2023, by 1,356 cases (decreased 4,479 persons) for a total of 24,140 cases (62,798 persons).
- Two-Parent Cases: Two-parent cases decreased in December 2023 by 9 cases (increased by 7 persons) from November 2023 for a total of 2,746 cases (11,973 persons).
- Approvals: There were 1,835 assistance approvals this month, including 1,105 new grants (down 339 since November 2023) and 399 reinstatements (up 21 since November 2023). A reinstatement is defined as approval of any case that was active within the previous 24 months.
- TANF Cancelled due to earnings: In December 2023 there were 137 cases cancelled due to earnings from new employer or increased earnings from an existing employer.
- Total Grant amount: $16,564,338 was the total in December 2023. This is $991,267 less than the total in November 2023. December 2023 shows a 6.15% increase from December 2022.
Assistance to the Aged, Blind or Disabled (AABD)
The total number of AABD Cash cases in December 2023 are down 225 cases or 1.22% from the number of cases a year earlier.
- AABD Case Details: AABD Cash cases increased by 71 cases in December 2023 from November 2023 for a total of 18,369 cases. This total includes 8,637 persons who qualified for Old Age Assistance; 164 persons who qualified for Blind Assistance; and 9,568 persons who qualified for Disability Assistance. The total grant amount decreased by 0.16% from November 2023 ($2,688,422) to December 2023 ($2,683,944).
Medical Assistance - No Grant (MANG)
December 2023 had a program total of 2,152,911 cases (3,437,752 persons). Of the total MANG cases, there were 62,017 cases (97,901 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 December 2023 shows an 2.30% decrease (421 cases) since December 2022.
- MANG: MANG recipients represent 93.64% of total cases and 93.77% of total persons in December 2023. In December 2022, MANG recipients represented 93.64% of total cases.
- Family Health Plans: In December 2023, families decreased by 8,820 to 846,636 cases from totals 855,456 in November 2023. Persons decreased 90,323 in December 2023 to 2,080,721 persons.
- ACA Adult: ACA Adult saw a decrease of 16,190 cases from November 2023 for a total of 875,644 cases in December 2023. Persons decreased by 16,393 for a December 2023 total of 908,684 persons.
- AABD Clients: AABD customers who were categorically qualified for Medical Only, decreased 1.49% in December 2023 from November 2023 to 430,631.
- 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 1,061,168 Illinois households (1,941,239 persons) in December 2023. This is a decrease of 1,290,843 households from December 2022 levels.
- A total of 100,845 households (134,974 persons) received SNAP with no other assistance in December 2023. This is a decrease of 2,233households from December 2022 levels.
- The total SNAP assistance amount for December 2023 was $388,011,888. This is a decrease of $188,254,336 from December 2022.
Fiscal Year 2023 Summary of Cases and Persons as of November 2023
| Program |
Cases |
Persons |
| TANF |
26,886 |
74,671 |
| AABD Cash |
18,369 |
18,369 |
| Family Health Plans |
846,636 |
2,080,721 |
| AABD MANG |
430,631 |
448,347 |
| ACA |
875,644 |
908,684 |
| SNAP with no other assistance |
100,845 |
134,974 |
| Foster Care |
N/A |
N/A |
| Refugees Cash & Medical |
4,707 |
4,707 |
| Total |
2,303,718 |
3,670,473 |
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 November 2023, an estimated 125,095 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 December 2023, an estimated 3,794 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 November 2023, there were 208 children enrolled in Migrant and Seasonal Head Start. The program is closed December-April.
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 5,594 households in shelters during the October-December 2023 quarter. Of those, 891 were households with children.
- The Emergency Food Program served 289,802 households (duplicative) in December 2023.
- The Homeless Prevention Program helps families in existing homes and helps others secure affordable housing. During the October-December 2023 quarter, 2,191 households were served. Of those, 1,270 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 2023 quarter, 646,270 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 1,886 in December 2023.
- Of the refugees served, 140 received employment services, and 106 of the client's entering employment were still employed 90 days later from October-December.
- The Outreach and Interpretation project assures access to IDHS benefits. This program has served 4,786 in December 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 1,632 families/customers during the October-December 2023 quarter.
- The Estimated Donated Funds Initiative aided 3,005 customers with 38,991 rides provided for Senior's during the October-December 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 Intervention
| Indicator |
November 2023 |
SFY 2022 Average |
SFY 2021 Average |
| Referrals |
3,205 |
3,206 |
2,747 |
| Active IFSP's |
23,073 |
21,174 |
17,814 |
| 0-3 Participation Rate |
5.40% |
7.22% |
6.25% |
| Under 1 Participation Rate |
1.32% |
1.12% |
0.93% |
| % With Medicaid |
51.20% |
51.40% |
50.48% |
| % With Insurance |
38.40% |
40.10% |
39.78% |
| % With Fees |
30.30% |
30.80% |
28.96% |
What's New in EI
The Bureau continues to update current policy and procedure to support changes in legislation. Currently, 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:
- 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).
Program Statistics - WIC
| Eligibility Category |
Clients in November 2023 |
| Pregnant Women |
14,569 |
| Breastfeeding Women |
13,792 |
| Postpartum Women |
9,055 |
| Infants |
43,244 |
| Children |
83,763 |
| Total |
164,423 |
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 November 2023
| Family Case Management |
Total |
| Cook County |
17,542 |
| Downstate |
29,745 |
| Statewide |
58,604 |
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.
