CHICAGO, IL – Families and advocates for Illinois’ Early Intervention (EI) program are calling on Governor JB Pritzker to increase funding by $60 million to address a staffing shortage and severe backlog in services for infants, toddlers and their families. During the final week of October, Raising Illinois, a statewide coalition of nonprofits, service providers and policy advocates, alongside community members and families are hosting “Babies Can’t Wait!” rallies and events to both demonstrate the impact of EI services and amplify experiences of families who are unable to access these services.

EI, which all eligible children are entitled to receive under federal law, ensures that infants and toddlers with or at-risk of developmental delays or disabilities have the best chance for healthy development and success. EI provides a range of developmental and social-emotional services, including speech and language, occupational and physical therapies and social work, that improve short- and long-term outcomes for young children and support families to better meet their child’s unique needs. Research shows that when provided during the first three years of a life, a critical window for brain development, EI is most effective in preventing or eliminating delays and preparing children for success in school and in life.

“The first three years of a child’s life are some of the most critical when it comes to driving and promoting healthy development,” Dr. Reshma Shah, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the University of Illinois at Chicago said. “Early Intervention helps children build social-emotional skills, use new knowledge and become more independent, while also empowering families to become more confident and competent in supporting their child’s development.”

Throughout the week, local events across the state will feature stories from families and EI and health care providers who represent the 28,000 children receiving services today and the almost 3,500 children left on waiting lists each day. Waiting lists are historically high, with 9 percent of eligible infants and toddlers being denied timely services – and these delays are only expected to exacerbate if we continue to underinvest in these services.

“Over the course of my 25-year career, I have seen the life changing impacts of the Early Intervention program when it works as intended. But right now, it’s not working,” Sarah Ziemba, Speech Language Pathologist specializing in birth-to-age-3 EI supports, shared. “Too many families are going without needed supports due to the shortage of providers in the field.”

The EI workforce in Illinois is experiencing unsustainably high caseloads, low compensation and high turnover. All these factors have led to a loss of more than 450 providers each year, which continues to worsen the service delays families are experiencing. With Illinois compensating its providers at rates 50 percent less than its border states, providers are being forced to leave the EI workforce and move into different careers with livable wages.

“Illinois must act now and invest more money in Early Intervention, and we must do better for these infants, toddlers and their families,” Zareen Kamal, Illinois Policy Specialist at Start Early and Member of the Illinois Interagency Council on Early Intervention, said. “The human and economic cost of denying these services is unconscionable.”

The full list of dates, times and locations for these community events include:

• PAST / Champaign: Oct. 22 at 10:30 a.m. at 2310 N Willow Rd (Soccer Planet)
• Hoffman Estates: Oct. 28 at 11 a.m. at 2320 W Higgins Road (Advance Preschool)
• Melrose Park: Oct. 29 at 9:30 a.m. at 800 N 17th Ave (West Suburban Special Rec Association)
• Carterville: Oct. 29 at 10 a.m. at 700 Logan College Dr (JALC Courtyard)
• Oak Forest: Oct. 29 at 10 a.m. at 15440 Central Ave (Oak Forest City Hall)
• Aurora: Oct. 29 at 11 a.m. at 150 W Illinois Ave (Prisco Community Center)
• Moline: Oct. 29 at 5:30 p.m. at 3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 108 (SAL Community Services)
• Peoria: Oct. 30 at 11 a.m. at 1010 El Camino Drive (Lighthouse Church of God)
• Chicago: Nov. 1 at 11:30 am at 233 S. Dearborn (JCK Federal Building Plaza)

For those interested in learning more about Illinois’ EI program or attending one of these gatherings, please visit the Raising Illinois website.

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Media Contact:
Claire Tatman
claire_tatman@jtpr.com
Cell: 616-216-9983

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