Many of the participants at the meeting represent religious and community institutions around the country. It should remind us of the fact that in working for the benefit of our children, it is not just the government’s responsibility but the responsibility of everyone in the community including parents, guardians, neighbors, teachers, community program staff, and, of course, our elected officials.
Furthermore, community does not just include those living on the neighborhood block. In Illinois, our community includes children from Rockford in northern Illinois to Cairo in southern Illinois, from Quincy on our western border to Danville on our eastern border, and from large cities such as Chicago to small communities such as Valley City in Pike County (population 14 according to the 2020 census). It is our responsibility to see that each child in the state has the necessary health, educational, and economic resources to thrive.
To the last point, I am happy to report the 2024 Illinois spring legislative session ended with the creation of a state Child Tax Credit. This was a measure Children’s Advocates for Change and others worked hard on during the session. It will provided needed economic support to hundreds of thousands of Illinois households. More information about the credit’s structure is listed below.
In addition, the approved Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) state budget continues to make additional investments in pre-school education and the K-12 system as well as Department of Children and Family Services staff. These were important steps in a difficult budget environment. Yet, the work continues.
- Not only are there areas of the state still in need of quality early childhood programs, but the state needs to improve the level of access to those programs.
- We need to get additional economic support to extremely low-income families to break the cycle of poverty.
- While more than 96% of Illinois children have health insurance, access to health care services is still an issue for many families. Work is underway on the certification process for community health workers. The state needs to ensure there are robust community and public health care systems to mitigate any health issues children may face growing up.
Of course, it takes money but the rate of return is well worth it. The state enacted a series of revenue measures and fund transfers to put together the revenue for the FY25 budget. However, moving forward, with the items noted above as well as other issues such as transit funding, it’s important to take a hard look at the state’s income tax rates as well as sales tax structure and untaxed services.
It will be a busy time, and I welcome you to join us in our advocacy efforts. We have a responsibility to all the children in this state. With your resolve and determination, we can improve our statewide community with our attention to our children and their needs.
