Illinois

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Did you know that in Illinois:

 

  • 3.1 million children (to the age of 18) live in the state;
  • 1 out of every 3 children live in a household with only one parent;
  • 67 percent of eighth graders are below grade level in math;
  • 67 percent of fourth graders are reading below grade level; and
  • 16 percent of high school students do not graduate on time with a high school diploma.

Click here for the complete Illinois Fact Sheet.

 

Positive Budget Results for Early Care and Education

 

 The voices of America’s Edge members were critical in speaking to policymakers and the public about the importance of early care and education to the business community. Despite the continued fiscal challenges, the Illinois General Assembly prioritized funding for these investments.

  • The approved budget protected funding for the Early Childhood Block Grant in the Illinois State Board of Education budget, which supports the state-funded preschool program. Level-funding for this program reverses the trend of nearly $80 million in funding cuts over the last four years.
  • The FY 2014 budget also moderately increased state funding of child care assistance programs. The Department of Human Services was given a boost of $7.5 million (about a 1% increase) to support working families, some of whom saw increased co-payments with funding cuts last year.
 

Our 2013 Policy Priorities

 

In 2013, America’s Edge members will be urging their state legislators and Congressional delegation to do the following:

a.     State Policy Priorities:

  • Support funding the FY2014 Early Childhood Education Block Grant (“Preschool for All”) at a level of $300 million, still well below the FY09 level, in the Illinois State Board of Education Budget.
  • Support proposed funding for the state child care assistance program in the Illinois Department of Human Services.

b.     Federal Policy Priorities:

  • Fighting against cuts, and where possible seek increases, for Head Start, Early Head Start and both the discretionary and mandatory funding streams of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG);
  • Working to improve the quality of Head Start/Early Head Start and CCDBG through the reauthorization of these programs.

2012 State Policy Legislative Summary:

  • Preschool for All, funded through the Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG), has a $25 million cut.
  • State assistance for child care is also being reduced, although not as much as the Governor proposed in February ($85 million programmatic cut).  The direct cut is $6 million, and one of our allies is projecting that means an almost $50 million programmatic cut.

Read about Career Academies here.

 Legislative Meetings

On May 2, 2011, America’s Edge members Kevin Weinacht, President of Weinacht & Associates, Wendi Valenti, Executive Director of the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce and Karen Wilson, Owner of Karen Wilson State Farm met with Representative Dwight Kay (R) and former Representative Thomas Holbrook (D). Our members introduced America’s Edge to Kay and Holbrook and made the case to maintain funding for Preschool for All.

 

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L-R: Wendi Valenti, Former Rep. Thomas Holbrook (D) and Karen Wilson

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L-R: Wendi Valenti, Kevin Weinacht, Rep. Dwight Kay (R) and Karen Wilson

 

America’s Edge Releases New Reports

April 2013

According to the America’s Edge report Making Sangamon County Competitive: Investing in Early Learning to Help Close the Skills Gap  released April 23, 2013 by local business leaders, the demand for high-skilled workers in Sangamon County exceeds the supply of those workers by 6,000.  And looking forward ten years, the data shows that 84 percent of high-growth, high-wage jobs in Sangamon County will require a two year degree or higher but only 4 in 10 county residents are qualified to compete for those jobs.  Expanding investment in voluntary high-quality early care and education programs is the infrastructure improvement Sangamon County and Illinois needs to reverse these startling findings, according to local business leaders.

Steward Sandstrom, President and CEO of The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce; Doug Stewart, Central Illinois Regional President of PNC Bank; Kayla Edwards, Director of Client Services of Express Employment Professionals; and Judy Jozaitis, Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Education at Lincoln Land Community College were on hand today to release the America’s Edge research brief showing that children who attend high-quality early learning programs increase their chances to graduate high school, earn more money, and be prepared with the skills needed for the changing employment landscape.

Read the new report here. 

May 2012

Three America’s Edge members released a new report which highlights how ensuring investments in voluntary high-quality early care and education programs is the infrastructure improvement Illinois needs to reverse the growing skills gap in its workforce.

Read the new report here.

 

Earned Media after Report Release

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March 2011

 Earned Media from 2011 Report Release

 

America’s Edge Illinois in the News

 

“Cutting early child care and education programs would be short-sighted and bad business for Illinois.”

–Bill Cox, The Brown Drug Company, Quincy, IL

 
                                          *For more information, please contact Policy Associate, Alena Chaps
 
                                                                                        Phone: (312) 288-8229

E-mail: achaps@AmericasEdge.org