December 17, 2024
Our 2024 Accomplishments & 2025 Priorities
Reflecting on last year's wins and setting this year's goals
As we reflect on Fiscal Year 2024 (FY 2024), we celebrate a year of progress and growth for Illinois' youngest children and their families. The continued momentum of Governor JB Pritzker’s transformative Smart Start Illinois initiative, alongside significant legislative advancements and system-wide improvements like the creation of the new Department of Early Childhood, has further solidified our commitment to supporting expecting families, infants and toddlers. Even in the face of ongoing challenges, Raising Illinois’ dedicated champions and partners can take pride in our state’s collective achievements that continue to make a meaningful impact during the most formative years of a child's life—the first three.
Each year, our coalition sets the policy priorities which spearhead our collective work. Our FY24 wins were achieved through state budget advocacy, legislative advocacy, administrative and implementation advocacy, and public awareness and engagement. We're excited to share with you the successes we had in 2024, and as we look to the year ahead, we are emboldened to secure and build on the advancements we’ve made for Illinois’ youngest children, families and those who care for them.
Highlights from our 2024 Accomplishments include:
- Passage of legislation requiring commercial health insurance to cover services for pregnancy, postpartum and newborn care provided by doulas, midwives and lactation consultants.
- Inclusion of an increased award amount for infant-toddler classrooms in both the Smart Start Transition Grants for FY 2024 and the Smart Start Workforce Grants for FY 2025
- Appropriation of $6M for the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Early Intervention (EI) program
- Implementation of the Paid Leave for All Workers Act
- Appropriations in FY 2025 for new income supports for families, including $50M for the Child Tax Credit, $10M for the Medical Debt Relief Pilot Program and $1M for the Diaper Distribution Pilot Program
- Continued growth of the statewide registry of Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health (I/ECMH) consultants across all 102 counties
- Passage of the Department of Early Childhood Act authorizing the creation of a new state agency that will simplify and improve the administration of programs currently operated by three separate agencies
Highlights from our 2025 Priorities include:
- Fully implement Medicaid coverage for services provided by doulas, nurse midwives and lactation specialists
- Increase state funding for ISBE and IDHS to continue expanding evidence-based home visiting programs
- Improve child care licensing functions and collect data on early childhood workforce benefits use
- Increase the number of children and families accessing EI services, with a focus on children under age one and children who meet automatic eligibility criteria
- Establish a statewide paid family and medical leave insurance program, with substantial protections for low-wage workers and sufficient time off for new parents and infants to bond
- Increase the WIC coverage rate, particularly for children ages 1-3, through outreach and mobile enrollment campaigns both statewide and in the City of Chicago
- Increase state funding by $12M in FY 2026 for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) to expand the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE)
- Build capacity for the new Illinois Department of Early Childhood to effectively integrate data, support cross-system governance and collaborate across agencies to improve prenatal-to-age-three service delivery across the continuum of care
We encourage you to join us in advancing new and refreshed priorities, amplifying efforts and sharing information about our collective work. Get involved today to join the Raising Illinois coalition and be a part of our robust and diverse advocacy efforts!