CHICAGO – An expansion of child care benefits will be made permanent under a measure sponsored in the Senate by State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago).

“Living has become more expensive for families while wages and the federal poverty level have stubbornly remained at the same inadequate levels, and today we have acknowledged that reality,” Pacione-Zayas said. “I applaud everyone who stepped up to demand this permanent adjustment, and I want to thank Governor Pritzker for being on the right side of this issue.”

Earlier this summer, Pritzker announced an expansion of the Child Care Assistance Program that would allow the Illinois Department of Human Services to facilitate improvements including reducing family payments, preserving co-pay percentage limits, updating income thresholds for eligibility for assistance and more.

In 2015, cuts to child care funding prevented many families from accessing assistance, with about 90%of parents losing eligibility after the budget cuts were implemented. House Bill 3620 and the new improvements at DHS clarify and expand the existing Child Care Assistance Program to ensure that families are able to access the support they need to pay for child care so the budget cuts that hurt so many families cannot happen again. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has showed us that child care is essential both to working families and to the growth of our state,” Pacione-Zayas said. “Children will one day grow into the future leaders of our society, and they deserve quality child care to help them reach their potential, regardless of how much money their parents make.”

HB 3620 is in effect now.

CHICAGO – To help clarify the Department of Children and Family Services’ role in assessing the living situations of children placed with parents out of state, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) spearheaded a law signed Friday that lays out clear guidelines for when DCFS can assess these living arrangements.  

“We have a clear duty to children who are or have been in state care, and it can’t be hindered by confusion over geographical lines,” Pacione-Zayas said. “This legislation will fill help fill in the gaps in current policy and make it easier for DCFS to do its job and protect our state’s children.”

Currently, the Interstate Compact of Placement, which is a statutory agreement between every state that governs the placement of children from one state into another state, is unclear regarding two specific situations in which a child is placed in care in a different state: situations where a child is being placed back with parents living outside Illinois, and situations where the department must assess a child’s well-being with a guardian who lives out of state when another party (usually the child’s parent) seeks to vacate the guardianship order.

In the event that the Interstate Compact of the Placement of Children declines to assess a child's living arrangement for either of these matters, the law allows Illinois courts to order DCFS to assess a child's living arrangement.

House Bill 3595 was signed Friday and is effective immediately.

CHICAGO – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D- Chicago) along with State Rep. Will Guzzardi, the Kelvyn Park Advisory Council and other community partners hosted a Back-to-School Fair Saturday, featuring free school supplies, COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, dental exams and more.

“It was a beautiful day, and I was so excited to see all the families come out to participate in our Back-to-School fair,” Pacione-Zayas said. “The event was a testament to the importance of coming together as a community to make sure our kids have the resources they need to start the school year off strong.”

Over 700 backpacks full of school supplies were distributed at the event. Additionally, the event saw the launch of a Mercado that hosted various vendors selling new and used goods and yard sale items, as well as an area with food trucks.

Pacione-Zayas and other stakeholders also came together to provide the community with resources for rental and housing assistance, child care options, youth programs and more.

“It takes a village, and this weekend the village came out in full swing to help families and students get ready to start the school year,” Pacione-Zayas said. “I am so proud of all the hard work our volunteers and vendors put in to help this event succeed. I can’t wait to see how this event evolves and grows in the coming years.”

To see more pictures, videos and resources from this weekend’s event, visit the Kelvyn Park Advisory Council’s Facebook page. Chicago Public School students and families can book COVID-19 vaccination appointments or find vaccinations sites on the CPS website.

CHICAGO – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D- Chicago) released a statement following Saturday’s exchange of gunfire that resulted in the death of Chicago police officer Ella French, leaving another officer injured:

“The burning sting caused by any life taken due to violence is felt deeply by the survivors and frustrating to all of us because of the reality that these deaths could be prevented.

“The victims and perpetrators of this weekend’s shooting are not the only ones who will live with loss, pain, emotions, and stress. Their families, friends, colleagues, partners and neighbors will also bear the brunt of processing its unjustifiable outcome.

“This tragedy is yet another affirmation that we need to do significantly more to address the root causes of violence. Communities, especially those historically marginalized by systemic racism, deserve the economic and educational resources necessary to thrive, to foster opportunities to live up to their greatest potential, and to curb and eliminate violence.

“I send my deepest condolences to the family of Ella French and am wishing for a full and speedy recovery to the other officer injured.”