We are less than a week away from COFI/POWER-PAC IL’s annual lobby day, Moms on a Mission–and parent leaders are on the ground fighting for our littlest ones! On April 18, Early Childhood Advocacy Day, a committed group of parent leaders (from Chicago, Evanston, Aurora, and Elgin–see photo above) joined 350 other Raising Illinois coalition advocates in Springfield to urge legislators to approve a budget to fund Governor JB Pritzker’s Smart Start Illinois initiative.

The Governor gave a speech at the event to talk about the multi-year proposed plan, which will stabilize budgets and salaries for early childhood professionals; address service coordination challenges; and expand Early Intervention, home visiting, and preschool services to more families. POWER-PAC IL parent leaders passionately stand with other early learning advocates across the state to support this historic investment in families–ensuring all young children in Illinois are happy, healthy, and ready to learn! 

While Smart Start IL is specifically geared towards helping families with babies and toddlers, at COFI/POWER-PAC IL, we fight for the well-being of all children of any age. Alongside Raising Illinois, POWER-PAC IL is also prioritizing the Illinois Child Tax Credit (House Bill 3950), in which eligible low- and middle-income Illinois families would receive a $700 tax credit for each child under the age of 17. Watch Rosalia Salgado, POWER-PAC IL Vice President, speak in support of the bill on WTTW’s Latino Voices! 

Please take a few minutes to call your legislator and urge them to back Smart Start Illinois and the Child Tax Credit. Thank you!