September 29, 2011

Join Voices for the 2011 Kids Count Benefit!

Don’t miss the 2011 Kids Count Benefit at Chicago’s exclusive Mid-America Club on Thursday, October 27, from 6 pm until 8 pm.

The cocktail reception features a presentation from:

• Retired Brigadier General Harry Sieben from Mission: Readiness on the importance of well-educated kids to our nation’s prosperity and security. 

Celebrate the 2011 honorees:

• State Senator Kimberly A. Lightford, for her dedication and significant contributions to children’s education, and
• WGN-TV for its outstanding work as our media partner in the Foster Kids Are Our Kids Campaign!

Enjoy a spectacular view of Chicago, great food and entertainment by students at the Chicago High School for the Arts.   

Voices Membership Initiative - "Partners4Kids"      

If you believe that all children deserve to grow up happy, healthy, safe, loved and well-educated then you should become a member of Voices' Partners 4 Kids.  Partners4Kids will be a powerful network for improving the lives of children by giving members enhanced access to and an increased level of partnership with Voices for Illinois Children in creating our shared vision for Illinois.  Individual membership is free and organizational membership is $100. 

To join, visit the Voices' website or contact Dawn Melchiorre.

"Great at Eight" project moves forward

Voices has launched an important phase of our statewide “Great at Eight” initiative with help from our local partners to engage communities all around the state.  “Great at Eight” community dialogues and focus groups present an opportunity for communities to help inform and shape the policies that affect children and families. Information will be used to define the issues that affect children and families, and to develop, strengthen, and pursue a policy agenda that will lead to positive outcomes.

For more information click here.

Gov. appoints Voices' BTPI director to budget commission

Governor Quinn has appointed Larry Joseph, Director of the Budget & Tax Policy Initiative at Voices for Illinois Children, to the new Budgeting for Results Commission.  The commission will make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding statewide priorities and goals for the Fiscal Year 2013 budget.  The commission, which is chaired by State Senator Dan Kotowski, will be holding public hearings in October.

Strengthening Early Learning through Home-Visiting

New moms and dads who are facing a number of challenges often seek help in learning how to best support the healthy development of their infants and toddlers through voluntary home-visiting programs such as Healthy Families Illinois and Parents As Teachers. Illinois' ability to meet their needs will soon improve with the support of the new federal grants totaling over $10 million - which includes a recent award of about $7 million, on top of an award of about $3 million announced earlier this summer.  The grants will allow the state to expand and strengthen programs in targeted communities.  Six communities were recently chosen to receive these additional dollars: Elgin, Macon County, Cicero, Rockford, Vermillion County, and South Chicago Cluster (Englewood, West Englewood, and Greater Grand Crossing). 

For more information, visit the Home-Visiting Task Force website or contact Dawn Melchiorre.

Report sheds light on importance of support programs for struggling single mothers with young kids in Illinois

Income and work support programs can make a big difference in the lives of single mothers and their young children who have been hit hard by the recession.  In fact, 45 percent of single mother households with children under age 5 were living in poverty in 2009, according to a recent report by the Budget & Tax Policy Initiative at Voices.   Fortunately, there are programs in place to help families during these challenging times.  However, these programs are in jeapordy - meaning families will have fewer resources to help keep them out of poverty.  We must increase our investments in and strengthen programs like the Child Care Assistance Program, Earned Income Tax Credit, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in order to pull more families out of poverty and enhance the overall well-being of single mothers and their kids.

Voices' Associates Board "Kids at Heart" Event

Associate Board members celebrated their "kid at heart" and enjoyed a successful event that raised money for Voices' "Great at Eight" Project.  The event brought together young professionals throughout the Chicagoland area for a night of food, drink and friendship, including a spirited live auction of an autographed Chicago Blackhawk’s hockey stick. 

To learn more or join the Voices Associates Board, please visit our website or contact Dawn Melchiorre.