Reality is setting in for area parents who are worried about what could happen if state funding for childcare is cut in half.

For many parents, it means they won't be able to afford early education programs for their kids.

Now those moms and dads are speaking out to local lawmakers.

Cacye Byrd is a senior at Bradley University.
This December, she completes her teaching degree.
She's a part time substitute teacher and now she may have to give up her dream of teaching full–time.

"I can't afford to lose my childcare. If I do I won't be able to finish school. And I won't be able to work because a minimum wage job won't pay for childcare," said Byrd.

A story that's echoed by many here at the Bartonville Diner. It's standing room only as about 80 people pack the place to speak with Democratic Representatives Mike Smith and Jehan Gordon.

"My daughter is in Bright Futures. She goes with her sister. If she didn't go to Bright Futures, she would end up back in day care, that would be a hardship on me and my husband. He's in the military. He has rotating shifts. I work at OSF three twelves a week," said Tracy Hurst.

"We're not just families out here looking for handouts. These are families who are out here working, trying to improve themselves, go back to school, working full time jobs and barely making ends meet," said Kimberly Maddox-Reihl with Skip-A-Long Home Child Care.

But the budget proposal passed June first would cut funding for programs like Bright Futures by 50 percent.

Just in central Illinois that would mean 24 hundred families would lose their assistance for state supported childcare and early education programs.

"It's huge and we can't even wrap our minds around what this means for the families and the communities in this area," said Ginny Everett with Child Care Connection.

The worry is many parents will have to quit their jobs to stay at home with their kids. Or kids will be left at home unsupervised. Gordon and Smith hear all about the potential "what ifs."

"It is a trickle up because for every program, for every family who loses childcare coverage, they're not able to continue in their job. It has a spiraling impact and it would have a reverse effect on the economy for what we're trying to achieve," said Rep. Mike Smith.

"Often times it's very difficult for people to put a face with a particular program. I think what you see happening here is what needs to be happening across the state," said Rep. Jehan Gordon.

The work though now rests with party leaders and the governor and Gordon and Smith encourage everyone to let lawmakers know how the budget cuts will affect them.

The new budget plan is expected in early July.