Financially Secure Families

Improving the Economic Health of Families Will Have a Direct and Profound Impact on Illinois’ Infants and Toddlers

Research is clear that poverty is the single greatest threat to children’s well-being. Unfortunately, poverty disproportionately impacts families with young children. Parents of infants and toddlers face countless barriers when accessing income supports, employment policies that are compatible with parenting (such as paid family and medical leave) and affordable child care programs.

Recommended Strategies

The objectives below provide tangible and achievable steps that policymakers in Illinois can take to improve the economic health, well-being and success of the state’s infants and toddlers and their families. 

600x600 Baby Playing
600x600 Dad and Baby GIrl

Income Supports for Families

Alleviate financial constraints of families by simplifying access to income support programs through policy change, investment and collaboration.

Family-friendly Work Policies

Cohesion between families with infants and toddlers and employers can improve the physical and economic health of those families and their communities.

600x600 Father and Baby Playing

News & Resources

Babies Can’t Wait Postcard

23 September 2024
Posted in

Your Early Intervention Stories Fill out a postcard and share your story! Illinois’ Early Intervention (EI) program provides critical services to children under age 3 who have or are at risk for significant developmental delays and…

Spring 2024 Legislative Wrap-Up

25 June 2024
Posted in ,

June 25, 2024 Spring 2024 Legislative Wrap-Up Expecting families, infants and toddlers have much to celebrate after the most recent session of the Illinois General Assembly Lee En Español In the early morning of Wednesday, May…

Raising Illinois’ Response to Approved Fiscal Year 2025 State Budget

29 May 2024
Posted in ,

May 30, 2024 Raising Illinois’ Response to Approved Fiscal Year 2025 State Budget Our state’s prenatal-to-three coalition celebrates another transformational year for expecting families, infants and toddlers – but critical services remain underfunded Lee En Español…

Are you ready? Learn how you can get involved.

Discover who’s moving this work forward. Learn more.