Illinois Enters New Fiscal Year Without Budget
In two weeks, vulnerable babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families will lose access to home visiting, child care, mental health, and other early education programs when the so-called "Doomsday Budget" scenario becomes a frightening reality for social service programs in Illinois. Barring action from House and Senate leadership and the governor to put forth a new budget, these programs face a reduction in state funding of up to 75 percent starting July 1.
Last week, the Department of Human Services formally notified programs of the cuts.
Home visiting programs for at-risk families such as Healthy Families Illinois, Doula programs, and Parents Too Soon were told to expect cuts of up to 75 percent. These services provide parent coaching to young parents and are proven to reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect, boost childhood literacy, and increase high school graduation rates.
The state's child care assistance program for low-income working parents, which helps ensure that parents have a high-quality, full-day learning environment for their children while they work or participate in education and training programs, has been gutted by a 72.5% cut.
The proposed cuts also jeopardize the state's ability to pull down billions of dollars in federal funding for programs, including new funds authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Other early childhood education programs will likely face cuts, including Preschool for All and other programs funded through the Illinois State Board of Education. Board members met this week in Springfield to discuss the budget. Early childhood supporters were out in force at the meeting and many people testified on behalf of the Early Childhood Block Grant. The board will meet again on June 30 to announce their budget.
More information about cuts to human service programs:
- Governor's Office Outlines Impact of "50 Percent" Budget
- DHS Division of Community Health and Prevention, which funds home visiting programs
- DHS Bureau of Child Care and Development
You can take action to prevent these devastating cuts.
- Email and call Governor Quinn and urge him work with the four legislative leaders on a fair budget that maintains investments in early childhood programs.
- Contact your state senator and representative and tell them that this budget is unacceptable and to support revenue needed to fully fund early childhood and other key health, human service and education programs for low-income families.