• $17.81 million for DHS’s Teen REACH program. This is level funding from the enacted FY24 budget. Teen REACH will receive an additional $1.293 million (from unused COVID-19 relief funding). This additional funding is a reappropriation from FY24 and not new. 

• $2.289 billion for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). This is a decrease of $400 million in funding in the enacted FY24 budget. $36.5 million of proposed funding will be used to cover an expected increase in CCAP participation in FY25. 

• $25 million for ISBE's After School Programs. This grant line is level-funded. 

• $5 million for After School Matters which is level funding from the last fiscal year.

• Over $400 million in total funding for the second year of the Smart Start Illinois initiative which includes universal Pre-Kindergarten, child care contracts, home visiting, and other intervention services.

  • $13 million of which is proposed to initiate the Department of Early Childhood. There is also an additional $75 million for ISBE’s Early Childhood Block Grant to expand support services.

• $350 million in the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) Formula for a total of $8.6 billion. This is a $350 million increase in funding over the enacted FY24 EBF budget. 

• $2.5 million for ISBE’s School STEAM Grant Program. This line is level-funded. Community-based organizations may partner with school districts to facilitate afterschool STEM programming! 

• $58 million for ISBE’s Career & Technical Education Grants. This is a $10.2 million increase for the funding line over the current level. 

• $3 million for ISBE’s Computer Science Equity Program. This is level funding. 

• $202 million for ICJIA's Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) program. This is an increase of $75 million appropriated in FY24. 

• $148.24 million for DHS's Reimagine Public Safety Act (RPSA) grant program. This grant program totals $250 million over several years. This funding is reappropriated from FY24. There was an additional $30 million proposed for the RPSA grant with $10 million from new general revenue funds. The Governor highlighted the possibility of leveraging $20 million from cannabis tax revenues to support this grant. This total funding appears to be sufficient to support current grantees.

• The $4 billion in remaining federal COVID-19 response funds have been already designated for specific programs

Governor Pritzker's Budget is Now in the Hands of the Illinois General Assembly. Tell the Illinois General Assembly to: 

• Create a new $50 million annual appropriation to fund community learning centers supporting afterschool programs and community schools. The proposed legislation (SB 2943) would create a competitive grant program for community learning centers with five-year grant cycles subject to renewals, stabilizing the field. A state investment would ensure the sustainability of afterschool programs in Illinois.
• Increase Teen REACH funding to $27.3 million. Teen REACH programs have not received rate increases to address the increased costs associated with inflation, materials, and the number of youth they serve. ACT Now encourages the state to support Teen REACH providers by increasing their rate by six percent over the total amount the grant program is currently funded at $21.4 million.

• Fund the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) at $3.41 billion, with $70 million designated to cover an expected increase in CCAP participation.

• Maintain funding at $5 million for After School Matters. This funding line will enable After School Matters to continue supporting teens across Chicago with paid opportunities to develop critical skills for work, college, and beyond.

• Allocate $26 million to the Illinois State Board of Education's After School Programs line. 

• Appropriate $202 million for ICJIA's Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) program.

• Fund DHS's Reimagine Public Safety Act (RPSA) grant program at $148.24 million. 

  For questions, please reach out to Emma Giamberdino (formerly Spencer) at SpencerE@actnowillinois.org.

• March 13, 2024, at Brooks Middle School in the Chicago Suburbs
• March 20, 2024, at the YMCA in Chicago

Administration

Four Strategies to Spark Engagement in Summer Programs

This article from K-12 Dive highlights new and creative strategies to make sure students have ample opportunities for summer learning. 

FY24 eCornerstone Training in ANCAL

ACT Now recently released a live eCornerstone training learning path in ANCAL! Once you complete this learning path you will learn how to:

• Add your program site and enroll participants
• Enter attendance
• Add grades and school reporting periods
• Discharge Participants

Youth Development 

Virtual STEM Conference!

A national alliance of afterschool networks (Illinois, Nebraska, North Dakota, Montana, Ohio, and Vermont) are partnering to host a two-day virtual conference, shining a spotlight on resources, strategies, and inspiration to boost out-of-school-time (OST) STEM programming. The no-cost virtual conference will take place from March 27 to March 28, 2024, and provide opportunities for OST professionals to network with peers from across the country, engage with speakers committed to supporting others in designing enriching STEM activities beyond the classroom, and ignite excitement to help youth explore STEM and all the ways it can inspire and set their lives up for success! For questions, please reach out to Kim Turnbull at Turnbullk@actnowillinois.org.

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is Hiring!

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is hiring for two positions! The Student Programs Manager has primary oversight of the development and implementation of Nature Museum programming designed for students. The School Partnerships Manager has primary oversight of Nature Museum programming designed for ongoing, school-wide partnerships with teachers, administrators, and students. Both of these positions will be open until the role is filled. 

Rise Fellowship Application Now Open

The Rise Fellowship is designed to provide rural and Indigenous community youth-serving providers with coaching, tools, and resources so that they can utilize evidence-based practices in their programs. Through this two-year program, fellows will network, collaborate, and leverage effective strategies to strengthen impacts for children and families. The application deadline is April 1, 2024.

Youth Development

2024 NLGA Lt. Governors' STEM Scholarship Program

Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton invites Illinois schools to apply for the third annual National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) STEM Scholarship Program. NLGA will award up to $1,000 to 12 schools in 12 states and territories to support STEM-related programming, projects, equipment, curriculum, and other endeavors. Applications for the scholarships should be submitted by March 15, 2024.