SPRINGFIELD – Home visiting is an essential program in the early childhood ecosystem that helps eligible parents and caregivers support their child’s development from the prenatal phase through age five. A legislative initiative introduced by State Senator Cristina H. Pacione-Zayas, which would codify home visiting programs administered by the Department of Human Services as they have done for over 30 years, passed through the Senate on Wednesday, March 29. 

“All parents want to provide the best environment in which to raise their child, but the resources needed to best support their children may be inaccessible for many caregivers,” said Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago). “Home visiting programs help connect families to community resources that can provide the support their children need to succeed, while also prioritizing greater family stability.”  

Typical home visits involve in-person interviews with family members and caregivers, guidance on promoting safety in the family’s living space and coaching on approaches to parenting that promote healthy development.  

Currently, DHS home visiting programs exist because of budget appropriations from the state or the federal government. This initiative to codify DHS home visiting programs contributes to the sustainability of critical resources for families with young children and sets the stage for increased investments as proposed in Governor JB Pritzker’s Smart Start Illinois plan. 

“Start Early is pleased to see SB1794 pass the Senate unanimously. Home visiting programs are critical for expecting and new families across the state, and we're encouraged to see united support of such impactful services from the Senate,” said Ireta Gasner, Vice President of Illinois Policy at Start Early. “We look forward to working with the members of the House to make this bill a reality.”

Senate Bill 1794 passed the Senate on Wednesday, March 29. It now goes to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – On Wednesday, the House Child Care Access & Early Childhood and Senate Early Childhood Education  Committees held a joint subject matter hearing to discuss public resources that support optimal development for infants and toddlers from the prenatal period to age three. Building on the first subject matter hearing that made the case for investing in the early years, the testimony highlighted the intent of programs and services, demographics of participants, specific considerations for young children with developmental delays and disabilities and multilingual learners, gaps in services, and the expected impact of increased investments. The committee heard a variety of perspectives including representatives of the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development, Erikson Institute, Illinois Head Start Association, the Illinois State Board of Education, Children’s Home and Aid, the Illinois Department of Human Services, Raising Illinois, and the Early Intervention Grassroots Alliance.

“Prenatal to age three is a vital time for early childhood development because 85 percent of the brain is developed during that period and has the greatest potential for fostering optimal growth,” said State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago), who also serves as the chair of the Senate Early Childhood Education Committee. “Illinois has a robust community of advocates and subject matter experts focused on the first three years of life and their testimony helped educate members and the public about the windows of opportunity to make a positive difference for young children and their families.” 

Witnesses highlighted the importance of addressing infant and early childhood mental health through capacity building of coaching early childhood professionals, comprehensive support provided to parents from home visits, advantages of center-based infant and toddler programs, and critical therapy provided through Early Intervention. Aside from acquainting members with the merits of the programs and services, testimony underscored the need to target service gaps, workforce vacancies, and deliberate coordination of services. 

Pacione-Zayas and State Representative Joyce Mason (D-Gurnee) are working collaboratively to advance a birth to five agenda through the General Assembly this session and are holding subject matter hearings to get expert opinions and lived experience on issues their legislation will address. 

“When folks think of early childhood investment, they usually only consider investing in our school system or child care. While these areas are essential to early childhood development, there are many more areas that affect a child’s early experiences,” said Pacione-Zayas. “These subject matter hearings will further explain additional considerations to have a fuller set of information on how we can make Illinois the best place to raise young children.” 

“The research is clear - babies are born ready to learn,” said Representative Joyce Mason (D-Gurnee). “When we provide high quality care and education, they will experience better outcomes throughout their lives. I can’t imagine a better investment than the futures of our children.”

The House and Senate Early Childhood Committees will hold another joint subject matter hearing on March 30 at 10 a.m. on eliminating pre-K deserts. To listen live, go to https://ilga.gov/houseaudvid.asp. 

SPRINGFIELD – In collaboration with the Illinois Federation of Teachers, State Senator Cristina H. Pacione-Zayas introduced new legislation to clarify and expand offerings and funding for community schools in Illinois, ensuring that innovative community education models can reach more geographies.

“As a former community schools director, I can testify to the numerous benefits community schools yield for students, their families, and communities at large. Thriving communities have strong neighborhood schools that extend their walls into the neighborhood,” said Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago). “Community schools complement formal schooling by providing out of school time programming including arts enrichment, homework help, leadership development, sports, and adult education. The positive impact can be transformational for young people and an entire community. This initiative will support greater access to students and families across Illinois.”  

Community schools are schools that cultivate and sustain strategic partnerships between the school and other community resources to promote student achievement, positive learning conditions, and the well-being of students through wraparound services. SB2391 adds language about a designated program coordinator and articulates types of wrap-around services that could be offered in a community school.

Currently, the Illinois State Board of Education passes through federal grants to create new sites and support existing community schools across the state. Senate Bill 2391 broadens the offerings of community schools, promotes trauma informed interventions, and encourages the state to ensure funding opportunities through state and federal resources.  

“Every school should have access to the resources needed to become a sustainable community school, including a designated community school coordinator, which is essential to link services and develop community partnerships” said Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery. “The transformative power of community schools, and their unique capacity to serve all students, have proven to positively impact academic, health, and social outcomes for students by providing year-round, comprehensive, multi-faceted support for whole child/whole community well-being. With this legislation, it is our hope the number of community schools will increase throughout the state.”

Senate Bill 2391 passed the Education committee on March 7, 2023. It now goes to the Senate floor for further consideration.

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SPRINGFIELD – A legislative initiative introduced by State Senator Cristina H. Pacione-Zayas codifies home visiting programs administered by the Department of Human Services for over 30 years. Home visiting is an essential program in the early childhood ecosystem that helps eligible parents and caregivers support their child’s development from the prenatal phase through age five.

“We have to acknowledge that when a child is born, a parent is born as well. All parents desire to provide the best upbringing for their children, but instruction manuals do not come with each child. Unexpected challenges can arise for families and potentially undermine their ability to meet these needs,” said Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago). “Home visiting programs are evidence-based and aim to support bond building, connect families to critical community resources, and provide guidance on wellness and development to contribute to optimal child outcomes and greater family stability.”

Typical home visits involve in-person interviews with family members and caregivers, guidance on promoting safety in the family’s living space, coaching on approaches to parenting that promote healthy development.  “Start Early has long championed the importance of home visiting programs for expecting and new families. We are excited to see SB1794 advance, which ensures these programs have the legal authority to continue to support Illinois families for generations to come,” said Ireta Gasner, Vice President Illinois Policy. 

Currently, DHS home visiting programs exist because of budget appropriations from the state or the federal government. This initiative to codify DHS home visiting programs contributes to the sustainability of critical resources for families with young children and sets the stage for increased investments as proposed in the Governor JB Pritzker’s Smart Start Illinois plan. As such, Senator Pacione-Zayas, a longtime early childhood advocate, has been leading the charge to deepen the knowledge of General Assembly members to understand the importance of investing in the early years through a series of subject matter hearings in the Senate Early Childhood Committee.  

Senate Bill 1794 passed the Senate Health and Human Services committee on March 7, 2023. It now goes to the Senate floor for further consideration.