State Funding Cuts Add To Struggles Of South Side Day Care Operator

(CBS) --Governor Bruce Rauner today proposed slashing more than a billion dollars from the state budget. Some of those cuts would be in social service programs.

CBS 2's Jim Williams visited a South Side family hurt by state budget cuts even before the governor took office.
James Campbell and Mildred Hughes are partners in love and partners in a struggle. James has ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease.

Mildred has a day care center in their home. It's how she supports the family, or did support the family.

"It is so hard that I don't know how we make it day to day," she said.

She lost her state funding weeks ago. The money had paid to take of children whose parents were in school or worked.

Latisha Strong is a mother of two small girls and is studying to be a medical technician and works overnights at Burger King.

"I wouldn't be able to go to school if it wasn't for Miss Mildred because my parents also work too so I wouldn't have nobody to watch my kids," Strong said.

Funding cuts can be counterproductive, says social worker Judith Mintz.

"You know we say as a society we value people going to school, getting an education, working, supporting themselves and their families, but without access to quality childcare, that all falls apart really fast," Mintz.

For now, Mildred Hughes will continue to care for Latisha's daughters.

"I feel I need to step up and help… even if I don't get paid," she said.

Examples like this one will certainly be mentioned often as in the debate over Governor Rauner's budget. Critics will argue such budget cuts create a ripple effect of pain. The governor will no doubt say pain is unavoidable when Illinois is billions of dollars in in debt.