Please join us for the Illinois Kids Count Chicago Symposium

"Moving Policy, Making Progress"
Friday, March 22, 2013
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
540 N. Michigan Ave.
 Chicago, IL

The fee for this event is $25.

The Illinois Kids Count 2013 symposium, in recognition of Voices’ 25^th anniversary  report, “Moving Policy, Making Progress,” will focus on progress and challenges in improving the lives of children over more than two decades. The report notes significant strides that Illinois has made in improving the lives of children and families over the past 25 years, but warns that recent cuts jeopardize the health, safety, and well-being of our children and threaten efforts to build a more prosperous future for the state as a whole.

One of the biggest cultural shifts in the landscape during Voices’ 25 years of advocating for children is the rise and influence of social media on children’s relationships and communications. This year’s Illinois Kids Count symposium will examine the impact of social media and focus on how social media and new digital technologies affect parenting, child development, social and emotional competency, and early childhood and K-12 education.

Keynote Speaker: James Garbarino, Ph.D.; Professor, Maude C. Clarke Chair in Humanistic Psychology; Loyola University.

Illinois Kids Count 2013 Report Presentation: Anne Klassman, Project Manager, Voices for Illinois Children

Panelists will address children's issues specific to their area of expertise as they relate to the most recent Illinois Kids Count findings.

Plenary Panelists:

• Gene Griffin, J.D., Ph.D., Mental Health Services and Policy Program, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

• Erica Williams, Senior Policy Analyst, State Fiscal Project, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

• Amy Zimmerman, J.D., Director, Children’s Medical-Legal Partnerships, Health & Disability Advocates

For more information, please contact Joan Vitale at 312-516-5555 or jvitale@voices4kids.org.