Attorney General James Wins Court Order Stopping $10 Billion Cut to Childcare and Support for Vulnerable Families

January 9, 2026

NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after securing a court order preventing the Trump administration from freezing over $10 billion in critical funds to programs that support childcare and other assistance to low-income families:

"This decision is a critical victory for families whose lives have been upended by this administration's cruelty. From childcare to shelter services for survivors of domestic violence, these funds provide resources that hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers depend on. This illegal funding freeze should have never happened, and I will keep fighting to uphold the law and protect funding that our communities need."

On January 8, Attorney General James led four other states in suing the administration to protect three critical programs from a $10 billion funding freeze. The freeze affects funds for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) in the five states. Today, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the states' motion for a temporary restraining order, blocking the implementation of the funding freeze.

Joining Attorney General James in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota.