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217 Today: After caring for little ones, Illinois’ home-based child care providers often make minimum wage — or less

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Bridgett Vance, a home-based daycare provider in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood, comforts a child. Vance is one of more than 15,000 home-based daycare providers in Illinois’ Child Care Assistance Program negotiating a contract with the state over pay and benefits.
  • Photo: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang / WBEZ

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Today’s headlines:

  • Illinois’ Secretary of State is behind an effort to ban certain food additives from products sold here.
  • A new campus in south suburban Blue Island will provide housing for dozens of women ages 17 to 21 who are aging out of the Illinois foster care system.
  • Gun violence in Champaign has been on a downward trajectory since 2021.
  • Experts say there are a few ways to combat feeling down when the weather is dreary.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn about home-based daycare providers in Illinois – and their current contract negotiations with the state over retirement benefits and pay.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting contributed by Alex Degman, Mae Antar, Claire Lane and Esther Yoon Ji-Kang.

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Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.