Day care has been a struggle throughout the pandemic — from safety concerns to a shortage of workers.The 21st was joined by three leaders who work in child care and preschool around the state. 

The federal Child and Adult Care Food Program reimburses child care providers for serving up nutritious foods to children in their care. It serves more than 4.2 million U.S. children each day, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But a new University of Illinois study finds the program may be inequitable for rural child care providers.

Gaps in the current year's budget mean that the state has stopped paying for its Child Care Assistance Program, and day care providers are worried about more issues in the future.

Gov. Bruce Rauner has consistently said he's waiting to give details on his plans for Illinois' finances until his budget address, on Feb. 18. But decisions by previous lawmakers may force him to make closely watched decisions sooner.