April 14, 2011

Come on out for the 14th Annual Wrigley Start Early Run!

Enjoy a fun-filled Saturday morning by signing up for a 5K/10K Run or a 1 Mile Walk on Saturday, April 23 in Chicago’s Grant Park. You will be in good company with 3,500 runners and walkers of all ages who are committed to building better lives for children at the 14th Annual Wrigley Start Early Run. This is a great event for the entire family featuring the Berenstein Bears, Chicago’s own Tommy Hawk, bouncy houses, face painting and more! There’s even a kids dash where everyone wins a prize! For more information or to register, please click here.

Federal spending caps pose enormous dangers

Reducing the federal budget deficit is an important policy goal, but one simple-sounding solution poses far more harm than good: imposing strict caps on federal spending. Caps would force unrealistically harsh cuts in vital education, health care and human services over time as well as leave our country unable to respond wisely to future economic downturns; our state, too, would lose significant federal resources.  That’s why Voices and 16 advocacy partners have written detailed letters to U.S. Senators Durbin and Kirk, urging them to reject such ideas; Sen. Kirk is co-sponsoring a constitutional amendment proposal that includes spending caps.

Principles for a sound budget - and a stable Illinois

As Illinois lawmakers work to craft a new state budget, some simple principles  should guide their efforts and help produce a plan that meets our fiscal and social responsibilities.  Voices urges policymakers to maximize available revenues, allocate resources equitably and responsibly, and improve budget transparency.  (One revenue proposal alone would save Illinois from losing $600 million in desperately needed resources.)  Overall, a well-balanced plan is one that protects our most important investments in kids and families – which, in turn, will return our state to fiscal stability.

Ryan's FY 12 federal budget absent of real deficit reduction

Under the guise of $1.6 trillion in deficit reduction, U.S. House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan’s FY12 budget actually takes its greatest aim at priorities for low-income families.  Its spending cuts total $4.3 trillion but are offset by $4.2 trillion in tax cuts that disproportionately target the nation's wealthiest households.  This truly unbalanced approach relies too heavily on spending cuts that endanger the health and nutrition, education, and economic security of vulnerable children and their families.  To read more about the proposal and the 630,000 Illinoisans who could lose health coverage as a result, read our factsheet.

New report: Getting kids ready for success

 “All Systems Go: Kids Ready for Success” lays-outs arguments and evidence for what Voices believes to be the most significant investments of Illinois’ dollars, energy, and efforts: supporting systems that impact the early learning years and our children’s readiness for success by fourth grade. The new issue brief – issued during this National Week of the Young Child –examines the need for alignment of support systems that are vertical (helping children from birth to 8) and horizontal (bridging the areas of family support, health, mental health, educational and community programs). The report makes the case that, when “all systems are go,” the needs of young children are addressed on many levels, both inside and outside the classroom. “All Systems Go” is a publication of the Great at Eight Initiative at Voices for Illinois Children.