Blogs

March Partner Plan Act Newsletter

By IAFC Marketing posted 03-06-2024
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“Movements are born of critical connections rather than critical mass.” ― Grace Lee Boggs, The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century CS3 Updates Registration is LIVE for Partner Plan Act Conference ! Equity from the Start: Strengthening Relationships for Systems Change As part of Illinois Action for Children’s 55th Anniversary year, we are thrilled to share that this year’s Partner Plan Act annual conference theme is Equity from the Start: Strengthening Relationships for Systems Change. This year, ...
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February Partner Plan Act Newsletter

By IAFC Marketing posted 02-27-2024
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“History is not the past, it is the present. We carry our history with us. We are our history." -James Balwin Community Systems Statewide Support (CS3) Update Introducing Yolanda Ortiz, New Program Manager ​ The CS3 team is excited to announce our new Project Manager Yolanda Ortiz joined the team on January 29, 2024!  Yolanda is a passionate educator and community advocate who proudly calls the Northwest side of Chicago her home. Yolanda’s diverse background includes working in both Head Start as a parent program coordinator and in Chicago Public Schools as a teacher where she has been deeply committed to shaping young minds and ...
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Response to Pritzker's Fiscal Year 2025 Budget.

By HL Admin posted 02-22-2024
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Fiscal Year 2025 Budget. #News
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ILLIONOIS ACTION FOR CHILDREN RESPONDES TO GOVERNOR PRITZKER’S ANNOUNCEMENT: LAUNCH OF UNIFIED EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE AGENCY

By HL Admin posted 02-14-2024
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Chicago ...Today, at the Carole Robertson Center for Early Learning, Governor J.B. Pritzker announced the launch of a new, unified early childhood state agency-eliminating the need for multiple state agencies to administer the early childhood education and care system (ECEC) in Illinois. While the Smart Start Illinois initiative served as a catalyst for this change, the new agency reflects the Governor’s role as a long-time early childhood champion with an unwavering commitment to advancing the recommendations proposed through the Illinois Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding. Read Response Here. This historic announcement ...
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January Partner Plan Act Newsletter

By IAFC Marketing posted 01-22-2024
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“Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, week, month, or year. It is the struggle of a lifetime. Never be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.” - late Senator John Lewis Community Systems Statewide Support (CS3) Update Introducing Marquinta Thomas, New Vice President of Community Impact ​ The CS3 team is excited to announce that Marquinta Thomas is the new Vice President of Community Impact as of November 27, 2023! Marquinta has been with Illinois Action for Children for nine years, most recently as Director of Referrals and Outreach. In her role as Director of Referrals ...
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October Partner Plan Act E-Newsletter

By IAFC Marketing posted 10-19-2023
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“It is our dreams that point the way to freedom.” - Audre Lorde CS3 Updates Farewell to Grace Araya, Vice President of Community Impact On October 6, Illinois Action for Children (IAFC) celebrated Grace Araya’s last day as Vice President of Community Impact. Grace joined Illinois Action for Children (IAFC) in 2018 as the Director of the Community Systems Statewide Support s (CS3) team where she built from the ground up and led the statewide technical assistance and training (T/TA) program for community collaborations . She also provided leadership in the ...
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eAdvocate Newsletter August

By HL Admin posted 09-29-2023
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In This Issue: August eAdvocate This month, we welcome a new member to our team and update you on the latest available advocacy opportunities! Don't miss other resources in this newsletter including available grants, scholarships, and advocacy opportunities. Introducing IAFCs New Assistant Director of Advocacy We’re excited to welcome Neoma Nagahawatte as our Assistant Director of Advocacy. Most recently, Neoma co-managed the Partnership for Equity and Education Rights in Illinois (PEER IL), a coalition of parents, lawyers, policy experts, and community organizations fighting for full and fair public school funding. Neoma has over a decade of experience ...
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eAdvocate Newsletter July

By HL Admin posted 09-29-2023
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This Issue: July eAdvocate This month, we need your help to take action to protect critical ECE programs on the federal level! Don't miss other resources in this newsletter including available grants, scholarships, and advocacy opportunities. CALLING ALL PROVIDERS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO! IDPH Announces $10 Million Program to Provide Air Purifiers to Improve Air Quality in Child Care Centers Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health announced on July 21 that the state is offering more than 20,000 HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) purifiers at no cost to child care centers in Illinois ...
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WTTW Chicago Tonight: Black Voices featured our Senior Vice President of Programs

By HL Admin posted 09-21-2023
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WTTW Chicago Tonight: Black Voices featured our Senior Vice President of Programs, Shauna Ejeh, to discuss the end of pandemic-era federal funding at the end of September. Shauna addresses how the expiring child care funds will impact families and communities in Illinois and nationwide. Watch the full clip here: Chicago Tonight: Black Voices | Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Sept. 8, 2023 - Full Show | Season 2023 | WTTW #News
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Chalkbeat Chicago interviewed IAFC’s Assistant Director of Research

By HL Admin posted 09-21-2023
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Chalkbeat Chicago interviewed IAFC’s Assistant Director of Research, Marcia Stoll, about our recently published 2023 Report on Child Care in Cook County. The article highlights how COVID-19 emergency funds stabilized the industry during the pandemic, and underlines child care providers' ongoing need for more funds stay in business and keep services affordable for families stay in business. Read the full article here. #News
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September Partner Plan Act E-Newsletter

By IAFC Marketing posted 09-11-2023
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“Power concedes nothing without an organized demand.” - Charlene Carruthers Community Systems Statewide Support (CS3) CS3 Receives ISBE Funding for SFY24 – SFY28 We’re very excited to share that the CS3 team has been awarded the Illinois State Board of Education’s Community Systems: Training and Technical Assistance grant! The funding will run from SFY24 – SF Y28 and support CS3’s work in providing a system of statewide support for early childhood community systems through training, technical assistance , and coaching to community collaborations. This includes building the ...
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June Partner Plan Act E-Newsletter

By IAFC Marketing posted 06-26-2023
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"In a world of possibility for us all, our personal visions help lay the groundwork for political actions." – Audre Lorde Community Systems Statewide Supports (CS3) The Community Systems Statewide Supports work is funded through Illinois State of Education. Current funding ends on June 30th. Stay tuned for updates on CS3 work. In the meanwhile, the Partner Plan Act e-newsletter will be published quarterly. Partner Plan Act Conference Recap The annual Partner Plan Act conference, Equity from the Start: Overcoming Obstacles, Leveraging Opportunities, took place on May 16-18, 2023. ...
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eAdvocate Newsletter June 2023

By HL Admin posted 06-22-2023
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This Issue: June eAdvocate This month, we celebrate our wins from the 103rd General Assembly legislative session and update you on the latest on available grants, scholarships, and advocacy opportunities! Don’t miss the graphic below highlighting the most significant wins for early childhood so far this year. Illinois General Assembly Passes Smart Start Illinois On May 27, 2023, the Illinois General Assembly adjourned as state lawmakers passed the budget for fiscal year 2024. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the budget into law on June 7, 2023, at Christopher House in Chicago. We are pleased to see funding at historical levels that will go into early childhood ...
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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSES SMART START ILLINOIS IN FY 2024 BUDGET

By HL Admin posted 05-30-2023
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MEDIA STATEMENT 5.27.23 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSES SMART START ILLINOIS IN FY 2024 BUDGET Today, the Illinois General Assembly passed the FY24 state budget (SB250), which includes funding for Governor Pritzker’s Smart Start Illinois initiative. This is a multi-year plan that aims to transform the early childhood education and care field for the state of Illinois. With the funding appropriated by the General Assembly this fiscal year, Smart Start Illinois will create additional preschool slots, provide more stable funding for child care providers that will go towards increasing teacher salaries and maintaining high quality programs, and reach more vulnerable ...
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Illinois Cares for Kids: Child Care Assistance Program

By Karen Brown posted 05-24-2023
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The cost of childcare these days can feel too enormous to bear… that’s where the Child Care Assistance Program steps in. Illinois Action for Children’s Vice President of Family and Provider Resources, Chris Tokarski joins WGN9 to share how families can get the help they need without the large cost. View the interview #News
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May Partner Plan Act E-Newsletter

By IAFC Marketing posted 05-11-2023
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"It is precisely the people who are considered the least ‘likely’ leaders who end up inspiring others the most. Everyday people and everyday acts of courage eventually change everything.” - Ai- jen Poo Community Systems Statewide Supports (CS3) The annual Partner Plan Act Conference Equity from the Start: Overcoming Obstacles, Leveraging Opportunities is only a few days away! To kick us off, Nina D. Sánchez , a proud second-generation Chicagoan with roots in Pilsen and Central Mexico and co-director of Enrich Chicago , will give the opening keynote presentation. The conference will ...
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Illinois’ government has spent billions in federal pandemic aid. What do some programs do when the money runs out?

By Karen Brown posted 05-04-2023
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Article published by WBEZ | May 5, 2023 By Camryn Cutinello Illinois has received billions in federal relief money during the COVID-19 pandemic. But there will be no new rounds of aid from Washington after federal and state COVID emergency orders expire on May 11. That means a revenue stream will be drying up for many programs that were launched by state agencies to cope with the far-reaching effects of COVID. Agencies say they will be able to continue those programs with federal funding until at least 2024, with a requirement that they spend the money by 2026. After that, some programs will wind down because they have served their purpose or they are ...
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eAdvocate Newsletter April 2023

By Karen Brown posted 04-27-2023
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Advocacy Day Recap Early Learning Advocacy Day: Building Tomorrow, Together was a success! On April 18, more than 300 supporters of early childhood care and education (ECEC) boarded buses from their respective neighborhoods from across the state. We, the Village coalition joined forces with Raising Illinois and Child Care for All and issued our loudest rallying cry yet to urge legislators to prioritize our state’s youngest residents. The day’s highlight was a rally in the Capitol where Illinois Action for Children CEO April Janney had the privilege of introducing Governor JB Pritzker and Lieutenant Governor Stratton who joined us to promote the Smart Start ...
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April Partner Plan Act E-Newsletter

By IAFC Marketing posted 04-25-2023
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" I think creativity is essential. And one of the things that oppression and racism has done to us, is rob us of that creativity, prevent us from imagining a new way of experiencing life and being together, to imagine what could be different if we stopped doing some of the things that are harmful to all of us right now. To be creative really means that we’re leaning into this constant sense of discomfort. To me, at its core, that’s what creativity is because it is about that unknown. " – Nina D. Sánchez , a nti-racism organizer & owner of 51st Ward Books , on Vocalo Radio Community Systems Statewide ...
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Pritzker, Stratton join advocates for early childhood lobby day

By Karen Brown posted 04-19-2023
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Hundreds of people from across Illinois were in the Capitol rotunda Tuesday advocating for early childhood investments. Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton joined We The Village , Raising Illinois , and Child Care for All in asking lawmakers to stand up for the state's youngest children. Pritzker hopes Democrats and Republicans will support his Smart Start Illinois plan with investments in preschool, child care, early intervention, and early childhood facilities. The governor is calling for $250 million in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget to launch the program. Click here to continue reading the article. ...
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