Illinois Budget Woes Dominate Lawmakers’ Agenda

(Springfield, IL) — As Illinois lawmakers come to the halfway point, many expect there to be plenty of work on the budget before the legislative year is up.

The 97th General Assembly has about two months before they depart for summer break, but any proposals that legislators want to take immediate effect must be passed before May 31 or else it will require a three-fifths vote from both houses.

At the top of everyone’s agenda is figuring out how to deal with the state’s fiscal situation.

“Everywhere I’ve traveled, people are coming up to me discussing, ‘What’s going on with the budget? Why can’t the state manage its budget, manage its finances? Why can’t they get their house into order?’” said Westmont Republican State Rep. Patricia Bellock.

Senate Republicans unveiled a plan last week to cut $6.7 billion from Gov. Pat Quinn’s original budget plan. The governor’s projected budget currently weighs in at $35.4 billion.

Pat Quinn’s Budget Jeopardizes 24-Hour Crisis Intervention, Mental Health Care, After School, Special Ed for 17,000 Troubled Teens

Governor Pat Quinn

(Springfield, IL) – Governor Pat Quinn’s budget proposal that slashes additional $4.1 million from Illinois child welfare agencies serving troubled Illinois teenagers will undermine care and after school programs for at least 17,000 children, according to advocates today who appeared at an Illinois Senate panel hearing.

“Governor Pat Quinn last month delivered a brief but dismal budget message,” said Marge Berglind, President of the Child Care Association of Illinois. “And that message said the state will once again slash care to more than 17,000 troubled Illinois teenagers.”

According to Berglind’s analysis of Quinn’s budget under the Illinois Department of Human Services, headed by Secretary Michelle Saddler, Early Intervention, Homeless Youth, Healthy Families, Parents Too Soon, Redeploy Illinois, Teen REACH, Teen Parent Services, and UDIS were reduced 10% this year and 20% in the last two state budgets.

“The Governor is gutting these after school and supplemental school programs year after year after year with brutal cuts totaling 30%,” said Berglind. “Shrinking these supportive school programs is an invitation to a graduation rate collapse.”

Berglind made her comments as the Illinois State Senate Humans Services Appropriations Committee today took budget testimony at its hearing from youth service advocates.  Senate Committee members include: Chairman Donne Trotter (D), Jeff Schoenberg (D), Jacqueline Collins (D), William Delgado (D), Mattie Hunter (D), Mike Jacobs (D), Emil Jones, III (D), Matt Murphy (R), Pamela Althoff (R), Tim Bivins (R), Chris Lauzen (R), Dave Syverson (R).

Additionally, Berglind noted that Illinois Department of Human Services officials said that 4,200 children would lose care due to Quinn’s cuts to Mental Health Community Based services.

“Eliminating mental health care for 4,200 children will likely doom their academic performance,” said Berglind.

Finally, Berglind noted that the state special education budget took a huge hit of almost $67 million in Quinn’s budget. In the budget, the Regular Orphanage Act line is down 25.44%, the Special Ed Orphanage Act line is down 32.13% and the Private Tuition Line is down 13.78%.

“State support for special education is down, down, down the drain,” said Berglind.

“We urge the General Assembly to develop a budget that reverses the massive cuts to care, after school, and special education programs for troubled youth,” said Berglind.

State Senator Dan Kotowski Pushes Bill to Capture $17 Million from Federal Government for Illinois Foster Care

State Senator Dan Kotowski

(Springfield, IL) – March 1, 2010. An Senate legislative panel on Tuesday will likely consider a bill that would enable the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to capture an additional $17 million from the federal government to help pay for Illinois foster children care.

The Illinois Senate Human Services Committee is scheduled to address legislation, Senate Bill 3420, sponsored by State Senator Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge), a member of the committee, on Tuesday, March 2.

“Due to the current economic crisis, the DCFS fund that pays for care of abused and neglected children can no longer generate enough money to sustain current spending,” said Marge Berglind, President of Child Care Association of Illinois.

“The legislation sponsored by Senator Kotowski will help fix that problem,” Berglind added. “And it will cost the state nothing. All the new money would come from the federal government.”

DCFS has asked private child welfare agencies to voluntarily convert foster care and counseling services into Medicaid-claimable programs.

“We estimate that the fee-for-service conversion and enhanced Medicaid services could generate an additional $17 million for the FY2011 DCFS budget,” said Berglind. “And Senator Kotowski’s bill will direct that money back to the fund to care for foster children.”

In addition to Kotowski, the committee members include Senators: Mattie Hunter (D), Deanna Demuzio (D), William Delgado (D), Heather Steans (D), Dave Syverson (R), Dave Syverson (R), Dan Duffy (R), and Dale Risinger (R).

Madigan, Cross, and Other House Lawmakers Pushed to Increase Illinois Income Tax

(Springfield, IL) – The Child Care Association of Illinois today called on the Illinois House to approve an income tax increase.

“The Child Care Association of Illinois recognizes that the state of Illinois is in financial crisis, but lawmakers must not reduce or eliminate vital human services,” said Marge Berglind, President of the Child Care Association of Illinois. “For some elected officials this will be a difficult vote, but we urge lawmakers to vote for an income tax increase.”

Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago)

“If the House fails to approve an income tax increase, lawmakers must then vote for Governor Pat Quinn’s doomsday budget as a budget balancing alternative–and accept their complete abdication of responsibility,” said Berglind.

The Doomsday Budget contains cuts, reductions and eliminations across all human services.

If the income tax vote that is expected on Wednesday falls short, the House will probably vote on this doomsday budget on Thursday.

“It would be a budgetary bloodbath,” said Berglind.

At DCFS, if Quinn’s average 37% cut is applied across the board, its budget would end up at about $850 million—almost $500 million less than currently budgeted. Abused and neglected child caseloads for workers collide with court consent decrees, according to Berglind.

On the DHS side, Community Health and Prevention Division would decrease from $237 million to $149 million—a loss of $88 million. Some of the budget lines are so small they could not absorb a 37% reduction and still be viable.

“Many youth services would not survive,” said Berglind. “They would just be eliminated.”

The Chairs of the House and Senate Human Services Appropriations committee—State Representative Sara Feigenholtz and State Senator Donne Trotter—need to communicate to House Speaker Michael Madigan, House Minority Leader Tom Cross, Senate President John Cullerton, and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno that a state income tax increase must be approved.

The members of Senate Appropriations Committee—Jeff Schoenberg, Jacqueline Collins, William Delgado, Mattie Hunter, Mike Jacobs, Emil Jones, Matt Murphy, Pam Althoff, Tim Bivins, Chris Lauzen and Dave Syverson as well as the House members Harry Osterman, Rosemary Mulligan, Patricia Bellock, Beth Coulson, Keith Farnham, Jehan Gordon, Deborah Graham, Elizabeth Hernandez, Eddie Jackson, David Leitch, Deborah Mell, Kathy Ryg, Angelo Saviano, Tim Schmitz, Darlene Senger, Ron Stephens, Mark Walker, and Eddie Washington—need to deliver the same message to legislative leaders.

Voters will be watching.

The legislature is scheduled to adjourn on May 31.

Quinn Doomsday Budget Will Doom Care for Abused and Neglected Children, Feigenholtz and Trotter Need to Rally Madigan, Cullerton

(Springfield, IL) —Governor Pat Quinn’s recent doomsday budget announcement offered no detail on the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services or on the child service budget lines within the Department of Human Services.

But we can offer an educated guess: a budgetary bloodbath.

Governor Pat Quinn

At DCFS, if Quinn’s average 37% cut is applied across the board, its budget would end up at about $850 million—almost $500 million less than currently budgeted.

Last year, when DCFS weighed $75 million in cuts, those cuts would have eliminated 40% of system of care, threatening to explode caseloads.

Quinn is now talking almost 7 times that much.

The Child Care Association of Illinois would anticipate if that degree of cut was made, all child caseloads would have to be increased to the maximum allowed by consent decrees (20 for foster care) plus more in caseloads that are not subject to consent decree.

Under those conditions, the abuse and neglect suffered by children would simply be committed by the state of Illinois.

All programs with minimal or no federal funding stream would be cut—much of the family preservation line, certain counseling, quite a bit of training would be gone. Even with that amount cut, DCFS could not achieve the budget reduction goal. DCFS would need to decrease private agency rates too.

On the DHS side, Community Health and Prevention Division would decrease from $237 million to $149 million—a loss of $88 million. Some of the budget lines are so small they could not absorb a 37% reduction and still be viable. They would just be eliminated. If the private youth services agencies thought 10% would be the end of the program, a 37% cut would be unfathomable.

The Department of Juvenile Justice has not much to cut, unless they eliminate entire wings of facilities. If they eliminate all aftercare, they still would not make their budget cut share.

Juveniles would be released from corrections with no aftercare services, although it is unsure how much leeway Governor Quinn has on releasing either juveniles or adults who have been duly sentenced to specific timeframes under the law.

For the Illinois State Board of Education, we cannot even predict how they would cut. Another budgetary bloodletting.

The Chairs of the House and Senate Human Services Appropriations committee—State Representative Sara Feigenholtz and State Senator Donne Trotter—need to communicate to House Speaker Michael Madigan, House Minority Leader Tom Cross, Senate President John Cullerton, and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno that state human service agencies and the vulnerable citizens they would cease to exist in any recognizable form after such budgetary ax swings.

The members of Senate Appropriations Committee—Jeff Schoenberg, Jacqueline Collins, William Delgado, Mattie Hunter, Mike Jacobs, Emil Jones, Matt Murphy, Pam Althoff, Tim Bivins, Chris Lauzen and Dave Syverson as well as the House members Harry Osterman, Rosemary Mulligan, Patricia Bellock, Beth Coulson, Keith Farnham, Jehan Gordon, Deborah Graham, Elizabeth Hernandez, Eddie Jackson, David Leitch, Deborah Mell, Kathy Ryg, Angelo Saviano, Tim Schmitz, Darlene Senger, Ron Stephens, Mark Walker, and Eddie Washington—need to deliver the same message to legislative leaders.

Voters will be watching.

Senate Panel Approves Cronin Plan to Help Foster Parents Pay for the Actual Cost of Care of Abused and Neglected Children

(Springfield, IL) – The Illinois Senate Human Services Committee on Wednesday endorsed a bill to require the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to review and set cost reimbursements each year for foster parent cost of care for abused and neglected children.

State Senator Dan Cronin

The Senate Human Services Committee approved 8-0 the legislation, Senate Bill 1576, sponsored by State Senator Dan Cronin (R-Elmhurst).

According to a national 2007 national study, The Foster Care Minimum Adequate Rates for Children (MARC,) revealed Illinois lags far behind the MARC suggested rate.

“Illinois currently provides an average reimbursement of $422 per month for a 9 year-old child in traditional foster care, but the typical Illinois foster parent costs are $703 per month—a gap of $281 that foster parents pay out of pocket,” Marge Berglind, President of Child Care Association of Illinois.

Despite the gap between foster parent costs and reimbursements, DCFS still has no plan this year to reimburse foster parents for increased food prices, even though food prices jumped 8% in 2008 and forecast to jump another 7% to 8% in 2009, according to Berglind.

“With Senator Cronin’s bill, foster children will benefit by helping to expand the pool of willing and capable foster parents who currently are deterred by the out-of-pocket expenses,” said Berglind.

The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale), Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago), and Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge).

The members of the Human Services Committee include Senators: Mattie Hunter, Deanna Demuzio, William Delgado, Dan Kotowski, Heather Steans, Dave Syverson, Gary Dahl, Dan Duffy, and Dale Risinger.

The legislation now moves to the full Senate.

Kotowski Bill to Help High-Risk Kids in DCFS Residential, Group Homes Sweeps Senate Committee

(Springfield, IL) – The Illinois Senate Human Services Committee on March 5th approved legislation 9-0 to create a new approach to help abused and neglected children living in residential and group homes get more sophisticated care and avoid hospitalization.

State Senator Dan Kotowski

The measure, Senate Bill 1372 Sponsored by State Senator Dan Kotowski (D-33) would develop a performance-based program and payment model for the state residential foster care services.

“Performance contracts for DCFS residential and group homes provide new opportunities to develop innovative programming to provide enhanced clinical treatment and to ease transitions to school, home, and work for kids,” said Marge Berglind, President of the Child Care Association of Illinois.

The bill would require DCFS to set new performance-based requirements, financial rates, and outcomes for residential treatment providers.

“Long-term savings from lowered hospitalization costs can be reinvested in new services that help close treatment gaps and help sustain the benefits for kid from treatment over time,” said Berglind

The members of the Human Services Committee are: Sentaors Mattie Hunter, Deanna Demuzio, William Delgado, Dan Kotowski, Heather Steans, Dave Syverson, Gary Dahl, Dan Duffy, and Dale Risinger.