Attorney General Phil Weiser sues Trump administration to protect billions of dollars for childcare and support services for vulnerable families

Attorney General Phil Weiser sues Trump administration to protect billions of dollars for childcare and support services for vulnerable families

Trump administration has announced $10B in cuts to critical support for families in five states

Jan. 9, 2026 (DENVER) - Attorney General Phil Weiser today joined four other attorneys general in suing the Trump administration to stop the illegal withholding of over $10 billion in critical funds to their states that help ensure low-income families can afford childcare, housing, food, and more. This is the 50th lawsuit Attorney General Weiser has filed against the Trump administration over the last year challenging illegal actions that harm Colorado.

On January 5 and 6, the administration sent letters to California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York announcing that the Administration for Children and Families, or ACF, was freezing funding for three critical programs: the Child Care and Development Fund; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, commonly known TANF or welfare; and the Social Services Block Grant. Attorney General Weiser and the coalition argue that freezing these funds will immediately jeopardize some of the most important anti-poverty programs in the states, putting vulnerable families at risk.

"The Trump administration froze all federal funding for three critical programs that provide cash assistance, childcare, and fund services to help low-income families. Without these programs, there will be immediate and devastating impacts for Coloradans who depend on this support," said Attorney General Weiser. "It's clear the administration's motivation is to punish Democratic-led states that are disfavored by the administration. Children and families should not suffer because the Trump administration has a beef with blue states."

The Child Care and Development Fund program provides $2.4 billion in federal funding annually to support the plaintiff states' programs that provide low-income families with funding for childcare, so that those family members can work or go to school. In 2025, Colorado received $140 million in federal funds from this program. TANF is a block grant program that provides more than $7 billion in federal funds annually to the plaintiff states, which in turn provide cash assistance and non-cash benefits to low-income families with children. In 2023, Colorado received $135 million in TANF funds.

If implemented, the funding freeze would be devastating for families in the coalition's states. Families would lose access to reliable childcare, forcing parents and caregivers into an impossible choice of either missing work or leaving children in a potentially unsafe environment. Childcare providers would lose essential funding, and even children who do not receive ACF-funded care could lose access if facilities are forced to reduce staff or shut down. Employers would lose valuable workers, hurting states' economies, and families would lose critical cash assistance to help them afford essentials like gas, groceries, and rent.

Attorney General Weiser and the coalition assert that the administration has provided no legitimate justification for freezing these funds. While the letters sent to states claim that the freeze is necessary to prevent "potential" fraud, the administration has failed to provide any evidence of this fraud.

Attorney General Weiser and the coalition argue that the administration's actions - which ignore the detailed legal requirements for imposing sanctions under these programs - violate the law and the Constitution. The administration's actions also ignore the laws and regulations governing these ACF programs and violate Congress's power over spending and the constitutional principle of separation of powers.

The states are seeking a court order declaring the funding freeze illegal and preventing it from being implemented.

Read the lawsuit State of New York v. Administration for Children and Families (PDF).

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