Why Increasing Early Intervention Funding is Crucial in Illinois

This May, the Illinois General Assembly finalized its Fiscal Year 2025 state budget, which included only a $6 million increase to Early Intervention (EI)—an amount well below the level that advocates tirelessly pushed for this legislative session. This latest appropriation is insufficient for addressing the compounding compensation issues that plague the EI workforce, currently operating at compensation levels that match those of 2004 when adjusted for inflation.  

We’ve heard from parents who sat on waiting lists for months, watching crucial time tick by, and we’ve heard from EI providers who loved their jobs but had to leave the field for other career opportunities in order to provide for their own families. We have a responsibility to do better by our families, our youngest learners and, now more than ever, those who care for them.  

In a recent op-ed published in the State-Journal Register, longtime Start Early partner Jen Crick, President of the Illinois Developmental Therapy Association, explores existing and growing challenges facing EI and what additional, substantial funding would mean for families and the workforce. Our efforts turn now to next fiscal year and working with the Pritzker Administration and the General Assembly to double down and advocate for adequate funding to ensure that EI providers and families thrive.

Housing Insecurity and Homelessness in Illinois Among the Pregnant And Parenting

Homelessness among pregnant and postpartum persons and young children and their families is a significant, growing problem in Illinois. Housing insecurity and homelessness while pregnant contributes to an array of adverse maternal health outcomes. Similarly, homeless experiences during early childhood years can have lasting impacts on child health and development. Unfortunately, child and family homelessness is often less visible than homelessness among other populations and is therefore often overlooked by government officials and other community leaders. The result is that national, state and local responses to persistent homelessness do not adequately address the unique needs and conditions that families experiencing homelessness experience.   

To address this critical issue, Start Early, the University of Illinois Chicago Center for Research on Women and Gender, and the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless  are collaborating on the Housing Insecurity and Homelessness in Illinois among the Pregnant and Parenting project (HIHIPP). The project team will lead the development of an action plan to prevent and end homelessness for expectant parents, young children, and their families in Illinois. 

Progress on the Road to Improving Infant-Toddler Care

Infant and toddler child care is one of the most critical resources for families with young children. It is imperative that our state’s youngest learners have access to high–quality child care to ensure the healthy development of children. However, for many families in Illinois, infant-toddler care is unavailable, and even when it is available, it’s often unaffordable.   

Over the last several years, the Illinois Department of Human Services has committed to making changes to promote the accessibility of infant and toddler care. We celebrate the Department for making these key advancements towards increasing the supply and quality of infant and toddler child care, however, more work remains to be done.