Summary
In March 2024, Public Assistance cases totaled 2,237,756 (3,552,841 persons) representing a 7.07% decrease from March 2023. Total cases decreased by 158,354 and persons by 280,700.
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
- Total TANF Benefits: There were 27,264 TANF cases (75,656 persons) in March 2024, down 521 cases and down 1,674 persons from February 2024. The caseload is 1.91% lower than the March 2023 total.
- TANF-Basic: In March 2024, TANF-Basic (primarily single-parent) families decreased, from February 2024, by 2 cases (79 persons) for a total of 24,507 cases (63,587 persons).
- Two-Parent Cases: Two-parent cases increased in March 2024 by 13 cases (113 persons) from February 2024 for a total of 2,757 cases (12,069 persons).
- Approvals: There were 1,899 assistance approvals this month, including 1,251 new grants (up 145 since February 2024) and 535 reinstatements (up 122 since February 2024). A reinstatement is defined as approval of any case that was active within the previous 24 months.
- TANF Cancelled due to earnings: In March 2024 there were 270 cases cancelled due to earnings from new employer or increased earnings from an existing employer.
- Total Grant amount: $16,831,634 was the total in March 2024. This is down $1,468,574 from the total in February 2024. March 2024 shows a 2.64% increase from March 2023.
Assistance to the Aged, Blind or Disabled (AABD)
The total number of AABD Cash cases in March 2024 is down 508 cases or 2.81% from the number of cases a year earlier.
- AABD Case Details: AABD Cash cases decreased by 21 cases in March 2024 from February 2024 for a total of 18,024 cases. This total includes 8,488 persons who qualified for Old Age Assistance; 168 persons who qualified for Blind Assistance; and 9,368 persons who qualified for Disability Assistance. The total grant amount decreased by 0.55% from February 2024 ($2,709,442) to March 2024 ($2,694,363).
Medical Assistance - No Grant (MANG)
March 2024 had a program total of 2,085,692 cases (3,317,856 persons). Of the total MANG cases, there were 58,960 cases (90,849 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 March 2024 show a 26.99% decrease (563,019 cases) since March 2023.
- MANG: MANG recipients represent 93.20% of total cases and 93.38% of total persons in March 2024. In March 2023, MANG recipients represented 110.54% of total cases.
- Family Health Plans: In March 2024, families decreased by 7,294 to 827,562 cases from totals in February 2024. Persons also decreased 31,585 in March 2024 to 2,009,014 persons.
- ACA Adult: ACA Adult saw a decrease of 9,683 cases from February 2024 for a total of 839,562 cases in March 2024. Persons decreased by 9,443 for a March 2024 total of 872,542 persons.
- AABD Clients: AABD customers who were categorically qualified for Medical Only, decreased 0.63% in March 2024 from February 2024 to 418,568 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 1,082,166 Illinois households (1,967,288 persons) in March 2024. This is a decrease of 681,924 households from March 2023 levels.
- A total of 106,776 households (1414,305 persons) received SNAP with no other assistance in March 2024. This an increase of 5,734 households from March 2023 levels.
- The total SNAP assistance amount for March 2024 was $391,944,440. This is a decrease of $61,991,223 from March 2023.
Fiscal Year 2024 Summary of Cases and Persons as of March 2024
| Program |
Cases |
Persons |
| TANF |
27,253 |
75,672 |
| AABD Cash |
18,024 |
18,024 |
| Family Health Plans |
827,562 |
2,009,014 |
| AABD MANG |
418,568 |
436,300 |
| ACA |
839,562 |
872,542 |
| SNAP with no other assistance |
106,776 |
141,305 |
| Foster Care |
N/A |
N/A |
| Refugees Cash & Medical |
3,833 |
3,833 |
| Total |
2,241,578 |
3,556,640 |
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 February 2024, an estimated 130,667 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 February 2024, an estimated 3,894 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. Program is closed in the months of December through 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 2,797 households in shelters during the January-March 2024 Quarter. Of those, 446 were households with children.
- The Emergency Food Program served 311,199 households (duplicative) in March 2024.
- The Homeless Prevention Program helps families in existing homes and helps others secure affordable housing. During the January-March 2024 quarter, 1,096 households were served. Of those, 635 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 2024 Quarter, 904,780 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 3,270 clients in March 2024.
- Of the refugees served, 177 received employment services, and 136 of the client's entering employment were still employed 90 days later from January-March 2024.
- The Outreach and Interpretation project assures access to IDHS benefits. This program has served 5,432 in March 2024.
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 1,872 families/customers during the January-March 2024 quarter.
- The Estimated Donated Funds Initiative aided 2,757 customers with 42,337 rides provided for Senior's during the January-March 2024 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 |
February 2024 |
SFY 2023 Average |
SFY 2022 Average |
| Referrals |
3,461 |
3,358 |
3,226 |
| Active IFSP's |
23,117 |
23,922 |
22,798 |
| 0-3 Participation Rate |
5.42% |
5.60% |
7.57% |
| Under 1 Participation Rate |
1.37% |
1.38% |
1.21% |
| % With Medicaid |
50.00% |
50.45% |
51.84% |
| % With Insurance |
39.00% |
38.67% |
40.00% |
| % With Fees |
30.70% |
30.34% |
30.83% |
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.
Program Statistics - WIC
| Eligibility Category |
Clients in February 2024 |
| Pregnant Women |
15,163 |
| Breastfeeding Women |
14,238 |
| Postpartum Women |
9,101 |
| Infants |
43,577 |
| Children |
84,300 |
| Total |
168,379 |
What's New in WIC
It has been 4 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 February 2024
| Family Case Management |
Total |
| Cook County |
15,862 |
| Downstate |
27,317 |
| Statewide |
43,179 |
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.
