SPRINGFIELD – Thousands of Illinois families would again be eligible to access safe, affordable child care under a plan passed yesterday by State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D – Chicago Heights).

Hutchinson’s plan, contained in Senate Bill 1705, would restore eligibility for families with parents enrolled in education or training programs in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which helps low-income families afford the ever-increasing cost of child care.

“Access to affordable child care is a central part of any parent’s ability to go back to school to acquire skills, which in the long run lifts families out of poverty and increases their earnings potential,” Hutchinson said. “We as a state should not have a policy of standing in the way of families who are investing in themselves.”

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SPRINGFIELD – Currently, nearly 45 percent of private sector workers in Illinois do not receive a single paid sick day. For these workers, it can only take one life event, whether it be a car accident, a sick child or a family emergency, to cause long-term financial pain and in some cases even job loss.

In response to this reality, State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D – Chicago Heights) passed a proposal out of the Senate Labor Committee this morning that would make Illinois the eighth state in the nation to require some form of paid sick time.

“Nearly every industrialized country acknowledges that a healthier workforce is better for families and businesses alike,” Hutchinson said. “With increased inaction in Washington, it is important now more than ever for states like Illinois to step up and advance common-sense policies that protect families.”

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SPRINGFIELD – Nearly two years ago, Governor Rauner made drastic cuts to the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), eliminating safe and affordable child care for tens of thousands of working Illinoisans. While some of those cuts were later reversed, families with parents enrolled in education or training programs remain ineligible.

State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D – Chicago Heights) passed Senate Bill 1705 out of the Senate Human Services Committee yesterday afternoon restoring child care eligibility for these families.

“Every child requires someplace safe to be so their parents can be full and active participants in our economy,” Hutchinson said. “It makes no sense for us on one hand to advocate for training and educational opportunities, which will have long-term financial benefits for families, while taking away any helping hand that would support that parent in achieving their goal.” 

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State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D - Chicago Heights) discusses the story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, three incredibly smart women who worked for NASA and helped put a man into space.