Illinois Update
In This Issue
Fall 2010
Illinois Update
Federal Update
Election Season
Reminders
Focus on the Issue
Advocacy Tip
Reports
Upcoming Events
Early childhood programs continue to struggle with delayed payments due to
the state’s budget deficit. In a bit of good news, Illinois made progress in
applying for new federal home visiting dollars.
State Budget
As we reported earlier this summer, Gov. Quinn announced that the Early
Childhood Block Grant would be flat-funded for FY 2011. Despite maintaining
programs for thousands of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers for the current
school year, many other services that impact young children and their
families were significantly reduced or eliminated in the face of the state’s
massive budget deficit.
Illinois remains up to nine months behind in payments to early childhood and
human services programs. While the national fiscal crisis is impacting
providers across the country, Illinois’s situation is particularly acute. A recent
Urban Institute study shows that nationally 41% of nonprofits are
experiencing payment delays. In Illinois, however, that rate is 72%.
The state is committed —and legally obligated in order to avoid paying
interest payments— to catching up on the FY 2010 payments by the end of
the calendar year. Payment priority within the Department of Human Services
is given to payments that are considered life-sustaining and prevent
individuals from being put on the street. The Illinois State Board of Education
is giving payment priority to General State Aid and Mandated
Categorical payments to school districts. The Ounce of Prevention Fund and
our partners are advocating for prioritization of payments to early childhood
programs, as well as long-term solutions to the state’s fiscal crisis.
ISBE Budget Hearings Begin Next Week
ISBE’s Finance and Audit Committee will hold six budget hearings across the
state starting October 18 in Chicago. This year, participants are asked to
address three specific questions: prioritization of payments during the budget
crisis; what actions should be taken to assist planning in the face of delayed
payments; and how the state should compensate for the likely decline in
federal funding with the expiration of the stimulus funds. Visit ISBE’s
website for more guidance on the requested information and for additional
hearing locations. If you'd like to attend a hearing, email us for assistance in
developing talking points.
Federal Home Visiting Dollars
Illinois submitted its application for the federal home visiting funding
appropriated in the health insurance reform law. The Home Visiting Task
Force, a committee of the Early Learning Council charged with coordinating
the state’s application, designed an initial state plan and managed the
required needs assessment submitted this fall. Federal funding will be
directed by the governor’s new Office of Early Childhood Development and the
Home Visiting Task Force, and is expected to be approximately $1.25 million
for programs for the first fiscal year. The task force awaits final guidance from
the federal government before submitting the updated plan describing how
home visiting coordination will improve the state’s health and school's
outcomes for children and families.
Other Illinois Updates
Shannon Christian joined the governor’s Office of Early Childhood
Development as its director on September 13. Christian previously served as
Associate Commissioner in the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services Administration on Children and Families, where she was responsible
for the Child Care Bureau. This new management marks a clear commitment
from the executive level to maintain Illinois’s place as a national leader in
early childhood systems. Christian will be coordinating efforts to move our
state forward in establishing a high-quality, accessible, and comprehensive
early learning system, along with implementing recommendations put forth
by the Early Learning Council.
Advance Illinois recently released its report card on education in Illinois. While
the report applauded Illinois as a national leader in early childhood education,
citing the high level of access to programs taught by effective teachers,
Illinois received an incomplete grade for early childhood. The report stated
Illinois “would have earned a B+ for its efforts,” if not for the lack of
aggregated data on school readiness and on how well at-risk populations are
being served by publicly funded programs. Indicating that “Illinois has much
work to do,” the report gives Illinois’s K-12 system a “D,” stating that
progress in academic achievement and closing the achievement gap have
stagnated. Advance Illinois’s appraisal gave the state’s post-secondary
education a “C,” with the observation that the state’s college affordability and
the college and career readiness of its students are critical factors in the low
post-secondary attainment rates.
Federal Update
Congress still has yet to approve a budget with funding for critical early
childhood programs, while the Department of Health and Human Services has
made changes to improve the quality of Head Start programs for low-income
children.
Federal Budget
On September 29, Congress adjourned and members headed home to
prepare for the upcoming elections. Failing to meet the annual October 1
budget deadline, Congress instead passed a continuing resolution that allows
programs to be funded at current levels until December 3. This allows
Congress time to return to Washington after the election to continue their
work on the FY 2011 appropriations bills.
Last year Head Start, Early Head Start, and the Child Care and Development
Block Grant received temporary increases through the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act. President Obama’s proposed budget, released in February,
maintained funding at the increased levels, and both the Senate and House
made steps towards maintaining most or all of these increases in their initial
appropriations work. A House Appropriations Subcommittee maintained the
majority of funding proposed by the president, and the Senate Appropriations
Committee passed a suggested budget that further increases funding for
these important early childhood programs. In addition, the Senate
Appropriations Committee included funding for the Early Learning Challenge
Fund, which would provide competitive grants to states to coordinate quality
improvement efforts across disparate early learning systems and programs.
While these each mark important steps in appropriations for early childhood
programs, the work is not finished. There are significant concerns about the
overall budget, and we will continue to fight for this funding when Congress
comes back to work.
HHS Announces Changes
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a plan
to make Head Start grants more competitive. While current Head Start
regulations generally only revoke grants from programs with serious
problems, the new plan intends to rate programs based on quality and require
the bottom 25% of programs to re-compete with new program applications
each year. The proposed rules will automatically require programs to compete
if any of seven criteria are found, including a “serious deficiency” in basic
program facets and concern over a program’s financial viability. These
proposed rules are currently open for public comment and will be solidified in
the upcoming months.
On October 4, the Administration for Children and Families in HHS announced
a reorganization that promotes the Child Care Bureau to the Office of Child
Care. This office will administer the federal child care assistance program,
increase collaboration with the Head Start Office and other key agencies, and
elevate child care issues within the department.
Jobs Funding in Jeopardy
Congress did not vote to extend the TANF Emergency Contingency Fund
before adjourning, ending federal funding aimed at providing jobs to lowincome workers across the country. In Illinois, this funding was used to
subsidize the Put Illinois To Work initiative, credited with providing more than
26,000 jobs around the state. Gov. Quinn did announce a two-month
extension to the job program to serve as a bridge and in the hopes that
Congress will vote on funding the program after the November elections.
Election Season Reminders
The November 2 election is around the corner, and many early childhood
issues and statewide elected positions are at stake. If you forgot to register or
change your address, you can take advantage of Illinois’s registration grace
period, which allows individuals to register until October 26. Registrants are
required to bring two forms of identification and vote at the time of
registration at their local election office (choose your home county to find the
location of your local offices).
Save time on Election Day by voting at your convenience. Early voting is
happening now! From October 12-28, you can cast your vote at locations
throughout your community. Check with your local election office for the
hours of your early voting locations. And, new this year, you no longer have
to have a reason to vote absentee. Request an absentee ballot from your local
election official and remember to have it postmarked by November 1.
Focus on the Issue - Ensuring Preschoolers Get Special
Education Services
Are preschool children receiving the special education evaluations and
services to which they are entitled? Recent legal actions have been taken in
Illinois and Washington, DC, to ensure that young children get critical services
that could prevent further delays and, in some cases, eliminate the need for
intervention in later school years. Under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA), school districts are required to ensure that all preschool
children are located, identified, evaluated, and provided special education
services within mandated timeframes. Unfortunately for some young children,
this doesn’t always happen.
This summer, a class state complaint was filed in Illinois alleging that Chicago
Public Schools (CPS) failed to evaluate and provide special education to
preschool children in Head Start programs. In response to the complaint, CPS
acknowledged that referrals for approximately 1,000 early childhood students
were initiated, but not completed, during the 2009-2010 school year. In
August, the Illinois State Board of Education issued findings and corrective
action against CPS, requiring the school district to submit a plan to eliminate
the backlog of evaluations and complete evaluations for all preschoolers
initiated this school year. CPS is initiating new procedures for handling
preschool evaluations that include centralized scheduling and monitoring.
In August, in DL et. al. vs. the District of Columbia, a Federal District Court
judge ruled that the District of Columbia Public Schools denied hundreds of
disabled preschool children special education evaluations and critically needed
services in violation of the IDEA. According to the decision, as of 2007, the
District of Columbia served a lower percentage of its 3-to-5-year-old
population with special education services than any state in the country.
Currently, the parties are meeting to discuss possible settlement of the
remaining issues and what procedures are necessary to bring the school
district in compliance with IDEA. If no resolution is reached, the parties will
return to court in April 2011 to determine if the court needs to provide further
intervention and oversight.
These cases shine a light on the current challenges our youngest children and
their families face to gain access to the special education services they are
entitled to under federal and state law. The Ounce and its advocacy partners
will continue to monitor these cases and work toward policies that will
guarantee all children receive these services in a timely manner.
Advocacy Tip for the Season
Let candidates and newly elected officials know what’s really important to
you! The election season gives early childhood advocates a great opportunity
to teach decision-makers about early childhood issues in their communities.
While candidates are asking for your vote, talk to them about the critical need
for early childhood funding and services throughout Illinois. Attend candidate
forums, events, and debates to educate them on the issues. Take a copy of
our early childhood talking points to help communicate effectively with the
candidates.
After the election, take a moment to introduce yourself—and the early
childhood services in your community—to newly elected officials before they
head off to Springfield and Washington, DC. Become a resource for them on
early childhood issues by inviting them to a local program or by scheduling a
meeting in their office before they vote on funding and legislation that will
impact services for young children. Need help planning a site visit or legislator
meeting? Email us at advocacy@ounceofprevention.org.
Reports
2010 Report on Illinois Poverty
This Heartland Alliance report details how years of disinvestment in
Illinois’s safety net, combined with the effects of the recession and an
antiquated state revenue system, resulted in an erosion of human
services across the state.
Home Visiting Services for Young Latino Families
Produced by the King County Children and Family Commission, this
report details the unique needs of young Latino parents and the
challenges they face when accessing resources. The report discusses
benefits of home visiting programs to young Latino families and
suggests ways that programs can improve to meet the needs of this
population.
Upcoming Events
La Presencia Latina: Staying Strong, Moving Forward, Defining
our Future
November 19
Save the date for the 8th Annual Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus
Foundation Conference, which will address the major public policy
issues important to the Latino community, including education,
immigration, health and human services, and the economy.
Illinois Obesity Action Summit
December 3
The Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity will convene stakeholders to
prioritize policy and environmental strategies aimed at reducing
obesity. The summit is a culmination of discussions held across the
state this fall through more than ten regional forums.
Tax Credits and Tax Credit Outreach Webinars
October 21 and November 10
National Women’s Law Center will host this series of webinars
designed to teach advocates about the basics of tax credits for lowincome families. NWLC will also discuss how to connect families with
free resources in your community and other valuable information for
those working with families in need.