BUDGET & TAX POLICY
CHILDHOOD TRAUMA
CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
EDUCATION REFORM
FOSTER CARE
HEALTH & DEVELOPMENT
PARENT INVOLVEMENT
WORKING FAMILIES
HEALTH & DEVELOPMENT
Children who are unhealthy grow up with more than medical problems. They often struggle academically and their chance of future success suffers. And good health means more than being disease free; it encompasses physical, social, emotional and cognitive well-being.
What Voices for Illinois Children is Doing
Voices is leading efforts to:
- Build a strong, statewide children's mental health system of prevention, early intervention and treatment.
- Ensure young children with developmental disabilities are identified early and are able to receive treatment through the Early Intervention program.
- Promote expansion of the Healthy Families Illinois program which offers home visits to at-risk families with new babies.
- Support implementation of the All Kids health insurance program.
What You Can Do
Contact your legislators and the Governor and encourage them to increase funding for children's social and emotional supports.
You can also make a donation to Voices for Illinois Children, sign up for news updates or join a Voices Leadership Committee.
Learn More
- Read Voices' new issue brief in English, "Keeping Our Children Healthy: Weighing Solutions to Childhood Obesity", and Spanish, "Manteniendo Nuestra Salud: Pensando en Soluciones para la Obesidad en los Niños"
- Find out how Illinois should invest in home-visitation programs like Healthy Families Illinois and Parents Too Soon
- Access statewide and county-level data in the "Illinois Kids Count 2007: The State of Children's Health" report
- Read the children's mental health issue brief
- Read the Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership plan or executive summary
- See the 2009 Policy Agenda
Contact
- Interim President Gaylord Gieseke at 312-516-5565
- Senior Policy Associate Dawn Melchiorre at 312-516-5557
