The Daily Sentinel: Most of Colorado delegation pens letter to RFK Jr. to unfreeze CCDF, TANF, SSBG funds
Most of Colorado’s U.S. Congress delegation sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday urging him to work with the state to release more than $300 million in Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) funding.
The letter was signed by Colorado Democratic U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Colorado U.S. Representatives Brittany Pettersen (D-District 7), Jason Crow (D-District 6), Gabe Evans (R-District 8), Jeff Crank (R-District 5), Diana DeGette (D-District 1), and Joe Neguse (D-District 2).
“CCDF, TANF, and SSBG dollars help low-income families access basic necessities like child care, groceries, and other social services that promote self-sufficiency and safety. Colorado uses CCDF dollars to fund the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program, which helps over 18,000 families access child care for more than 27,000 children. This program supports over 2,500 child care providers across the state and ensures parents can work to provide for their families,” the letter reads.
“Additionally, TANF supports over 50,000 children in Colorado, including nearly 20,000 kids under the age of 6, through direct cash assistance. SSBG funds help Colorado’s Division of Child Welfare conduct over 30,000 child maltreatment investigations; provide prevention and intervention services to approximately 14,400 youth; and support out-of-home placements to over 6,000 children. These programs are critical to ensure our children are able to learn, grow, and thrive in safe environments.”
The letter requested Kennedy’s response to three questions:
“In the Department’s January 6th notification to Colorado, it states that the funding will be temporarily withheld ‘until further notice, pending successful and satisfactory review of the requested information.’ What criteria will be used to determine the release of funding and what is the expected timeline for disbursement?”
“What evidence has the Department identified in Colorado to warrant additional administrative requirements for CCDF, TANF, and SSBG funding?”
“On January 5th, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Child Care sent guidance to states requiring them to complete a ‘Defend the Spend’ justification before they can request drawing down CCDF funds. When the Administration implemented similar measures in the spring of 2025, the release of funds was delayed by up to six weeks. How quickly will the Department review the justification statements and release funds?”
The lawmakers also requested that the department brief each of their offices on the status of these requests and respond no later than Jan. 30.
The only two members of Colorado’s delegation to not sign onto the letter were Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-District 3) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-District 4). Hurd provided the following comment to The Daily Sentinel on Jan. 7 when asked about the funding freeze:
“We are working closely with the Governor’s office and administration to ensure Colorado is in compliance with federal guidelines. Fraud in any government program erodes the trust of tax payers in their government, and with abuses across the country, we fully support any oversight into the process, if there is any actual recorded instances of fraud.”