Early Childhood Focus

Area Chiefs Urge Legislators to Continue Early Child Care Funding

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:03:01 PST

EXCERPT FROM: McCook Suburban Life
By Staff
Brookfield, IL � Area police chiefs recent met with state Sen. Steven Landek, Burbank, to urge support for quality early childhood programs to prevent future crime.

Working parents struggle with costs of child care

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:21:33 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Chicago Tribune
By Alexa Aguilar
Tabatha Okamoto is careful never to bring home more than about $2,000 a month in earnings from her job as an administrative assistant at a downtown hotel. If she does, she could be on the hook for her 4-year-old son's entire child care bill � nearly half of her current monthly take-home income.

Report: Ill. Single Mothers Hit Hard by Economy

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:14:36 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Houston Chronicle
By STAFF
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) � A new report concludes that single mothers in Illinois have been hit especially hard by economic troubles.

Child Care Costs Tougher on Parents in Down Economy

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:37:22 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Northwest Herald
By Hilary Gowins
After Crystal Lake resident Heidi Alexander�s flexible real estate career took a dive when the housing crisis hit, she was all but forced out.

State Making it Tough to Care

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 16:19:12 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Morris Daily Herald
By Christina Chapman
Due to lack of payments by the state, Jackie Nusbaumer, co-owner of Praireland Kids Daycare and Learning Center in Morris, has had to hold her employees� paychecks.

Quinn Signs Bill in Naperville to Protect Infants

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:32:00 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Napersville Sun
By Hilary Decent
As part of his tour around DuPage County Wednesday, Gov. Patrick Quinn stopped in Naperville to sign a bill that aims to reduce the number of child deaths in Illinois.

Local Leaders Call for More Education Money

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:41:03 PST

EXCERPT FROM: St. Louis Today
By Darwin Campbell
A group of Metro East community and business leaders is calling for additional state investments in education and early child care to help boost the economy.

Park District Closes Child Care

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 10:08:20 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Northwest Herald
By Rodger Sherman
MARENGO � Marengo preschool and after-school program The Little Nut Hut will close next month, leaving parents of the 20 children enrolled in the program searching for new day care options.

Area Educators Weigh in on State Budget

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:30:55 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Illinois Times
By Rachel Wells
General state aid, mandated programs and pre-kindergarten funding have been and should remain top education priorities for the state as it muddles through yet another budget process with record-breaking deficit projections, area educators told the Illinois State Board of Education last week at a public hearing held in Springfield.

Rogers Park Family Could Lose Home Child Care Center

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:14:16 PST

EXCERPT FROM: ABC 7 Chicago
By Theresa Gutierrez
August 17, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- A Rogers Park home day care center that was scheduled to open in a few weeks is now fighting foreclosure.

Child Care Program for Migrant Children Opens

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:13:58 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The Beacon News
By Rowena Vergara
OSWEGO -- A state-funded day care program in Kendall County has opened for the summer, and is taking applications for children of migrant or agricultural workers.

Ill. Provides Child Care in Sex Offenders' Homes

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:56:54 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Chicago Tribune
By John O'Connor
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. � The state of Illinois helped pay for day care services in homes where sex offenders live, the auditor general reported Tuesday.

States' Budget Woes Hitting Programs for Kids Hard

Mon, 17 May 2010 14:44:18 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The Associated Press
By Don Babwin
CHICAGO � Now the crisis is reaching the children.

State Budget Cut Pain Shared by Many

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:33:09 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The State Journal-Register
By Dean Olsen
The old, the young and the disabled, as well as men and women in uniform, would be among those to suffer under Gov. Pat Quinn�s proposed state budget for fiscal 2011.

Ill. Budget to Hit Schools, Police, Child Care

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:23:12 PST

EXCERPT FROM: KWQC 6
By Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Gov. Pat Quinn's administration is warning that his budget proposal will deliver painful news for people across Illinois.

Agencies Say Losing Subsidies Would Hurt Services in Cash-Strapped Times

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 09:18:37 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Quincy Herald-Whig
By Edward Husar
Officials with agencies that get subsidies from the city of Quincy say the money is vital to their operations, and the agencies would be hurt or threatened if the money was taken away.

Editorial: Payment Mess Threatens Social Service Agencies

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:18:05 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Westchester Suburban Life
By GateHouse News Service
When someone does work for you and sends you a bill, you pay it. If the service is one that you use regularly, you make sure the payment is prompt so that you maintain a good reputation and can rely on the work getting done month after month, year after year.

Preschool Caught In State Budget Battle May Close

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:37:52 PST

EXCERPT FROM: CBS 2
By Suzanne Le Mignot
CICERO, Ill. (CBS) ― Through a Child's Eyes preschool is going to shut down after the state cut its funding, but parents and teachers are not giving up without a fight.

Governor Quinn Boosts Child Care For Illinois� Working Families

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:08:12 PST

CHICAGO � October 20, 2009. Governor Pat Quinn and Michelle Saddler, Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), today announced new policy and administrative changes designed to provide greater assistance to low-income working parents struggling to keep their jobs while coping with child care needs.

'Drugs All Over' at Child Care House

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:55:38 PST

PEORIA � Several ounces of cocaine were seized Friday morning from a Central Peoria home that also operates as a day care facility.