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Recent efforts to curb federal spending have generated a lot of news. But few Americans are aware of the massive cuts nestled within Congress’s big reconciliation bill and the ripple effects they will have on families. Many programs that have been funded by the federal government with bi-partisan support for decades will be eliminated, intensely reshaped through new requirements, or pass increased costs to states, who are unlikely to be able to cover the full costs without substantially raising taxes.

Here are a few examples of how some of the historic cuts and implementation changes being considered at the federal level could have very real consequences for families across the country.

This toddler has complex medical needs requiring weekly appointments, and Medicaid cuts threaten his care. They miss appointments as Mom’s not covered by unpaid leave via the Family and Medical Leave Act since her company has under 50 employees. Only have paid family leave via their jobs and have unpaid leave through the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Mom and Dad are struggling to cover child care costs, which can make it hard to save for their children’s futures. A “Trump Account” for their baby with $1,000 at birth helps provide a foundation of savings but they can’t now—and may never be able to—add much to the account. Like most U.S. families, both parents must work to stay afloat. work outside the home. Child care costs families of their income. Like families in , it costs more than their mortgage. Saving for the future is difficult, if not impossible.

in their state make it difficult to afford both food and health care for their family. depend on SNAP to help with food costs, and . helps cover a portion of their child care.

When a tornado damaged the house, there was no funding for to help with repairs. Due to help was sparse and disorganized and they don’t know if they will be able to cover the cost of fixing their home.

Related resources from ���app����:

• To Have and Have Not Story Series: What it means to live in a country that does not guarantee paid family and medical leave
• How the House Passed Reconciliation Bill Would Impact Young Children and Their Families
• Designed for Filing, Not for Families: Reimagining Tax Credit Delivery
• What Does a Federal Transition Mean for Local Early Childhood Initiatives?
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These moms help Grandpa manage his chronic illness and Grandpa cares for his granddaughter while the moms work. mean is struggling to stay open. Without regular medical care he would be too ill to care for their daughter, which would force one Mom to reduce work hours and income.

Without Grandpa’s child care help, these moms won’t be able to afford both child care and rent. Children under 5 are the group to face eviction due in part to unaffordable child care—the average national cost is and exceeds median annual rent payments. Around each year due to prohibitive childcare costs.

One mom is working full-time while in community college at 6 credits per semester. Under new federal rules, half-time enrollment is defined as 7.5 credits and Pell Grants are only for at least half-time students. She has to decide: reduce work hours to increase credits and maintain Pell Grant eligibility, or lose eligibility and take on more student loans?

One mom has an hourly job with an unpredictable schedule, like many service workers. Her as much as 30% every month, while the bills don’t. She’d like to get training to find a better job, but her schedule makes it impossible.

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• The True Victims of the US Evictions Crisis
• How the House Reconciliation Bill Harms the Average Family
• The President's Proposed Budget Would Strip Child Care Access from Student Parents
• More Alike Than Different: Findings from CivicSpace’s 2024 Financial Security Survey

Mom earns less than Dad and her brother so she leaves her job to care for her chronically ill parents, kids, and nephew. People forced out of the workforce for caregiving lose over their lifetimes, straining family economic stability. are the largest reasons parents are forced to leave jobs.

Mom left her teaching job to care for her parents and kids, so her school had to hire someone with no training or experience. The federal government cut funding for the , which had been on track to recruit 1,000 teacher apprentices through partners across the country. The students’ academic performance has since declined.

Car repairs made Mom and Dad 7 days late paying rent. The management company filed an eviction with the . They couldn’t due to work and caretaking and had no legal assistance due to The court ruled in the landlord’s favor so the family was evicted and had to split up to move in with different relatives.

This preschooler receives education and speech therapy through Head Start and a community center. His educational future is uncertain—the regional was cut and Title I funding is flat. More than children rely on Head Start and nearly attend districts that received Title I funding.

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• Mapping Eviction Judgments for the First Time
• How the House-Passed Reconciliation Bill Would Negatively Impact Young Children and Their Families
• Federal Cuts Threaten Babies and Preschoolers with Disabilities from All Angles
• Project 2025 Would End Headstart and Hurt Children with Disabilities

This mom is a child care worker and earns wages to qualify for public benefits. The child care center owner operates on , like many child care providers, making it impossible to pay staff higher wages. If federal preschool grants are cut, her state may have to reduce its support of their program and she could lose her job.

Caring for her son has become increasingly difficult as this Mom has aged. has helped, but federal cuts mean her state has to keep state budgets from soaring. With through Medicaid, her son could end up institutionalized or hospitalized.

Like many , Mom does not have health insurance through her employer and has depended on Medicaid for her own health care needs. She’s already struggling to pay for housing, food, and medication. rely on Medicaid.

Cuts to the means this family is no longer eligible for the Section 8 voucher that had helped them pay rent, so they can’t afford most housing. They’re rejected from apartments they can afford because of a past eviction when Mom was out of work. They move in with a relative whose home is not wheelchair accessible.

Related resources from ���app����:

• The Impact and Aftermath of Pandemic Aid for Financially Struggling Families: from unprecedented investments to “you’re on your own.”
• The Rooftop: Innovative Ideas to Solve the Housing Crisis
• Tools and Resources for Eviction Data Access and Analysis