Chicago Day Care Center for Children Affected by HIV May Close if Governor’s Budget Cuts Stand
A Chicago day care center for children with HIV or whose guardians have HIV may be forced to close due to budget cuts proposed by Illinois Gov. George Ryan (R), the Chicago Tribune reports. The state Department of Human Services announced in March that it will not renew the center's $780,000 grant for the fiscal year beginning July 1 under current budget proposals due to a $1 billion budget shortfall. Cathy Krieger, president of the Children's Place Association, which has run the center for three years, said that the center might not be able to operate without state support. Losing the funding "would be devastating," she explained. The Legislature is expected to vote on the final budget this month, and state Sen. Miguel del Valle (D) has suggested using higher taxes on tobacco products and casino taxes to cover the costs of social programs "threatened" by budget cuts (Chicago Tribune, 4/30).
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