STILWELL, Okla. — When Matthew Brunk took a job as a school principal in Stilwell, Oklahoma, he commuted to work from a larger community almost an hour away. He and his wife faced a major hurdle in moving back to Brunk’s hometown — there was no day care facility for their two-year-old. Listen to this
SPRINGFIELD – Thousands more families in Illinois will soon be eligible for subsidized child care and child care providers will see a pay raise under a series of initiatives that Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday. Starting July 1, the state will invest more than $175 million in additional funding for child care and early childhood
Man Charged In Student’s Death Was Also Charged As Juvenile CHICAGO (AP) — A man charged in the July killing of a University of Illinois student was one of five Chicago youths accused of murder after another teen was shot to death during an attempted car theft last year, authorities said Thursday. Cook County prosecutors
RANTOUL – As hundreds of migrant farmworkers arrive in central Illinois to work on detasseling — a process needed to create hybrid seed corn — local organizations are stepping up to provide services to the workers and their families. Martha Gonzalez, executive director of the Rantoul Multicultural Community Center, says the child care they offer
CHAMPAIGN – The child care industry, like many others, has been hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, as many day care centers and home-based child care providers were forced to either close or reduce their capacity as states implemented stay-home orders to slow the spread of the virus. As businesses slowly reopen, lack of access to
The Illinois Newsroom team is answering questions from listeners to navigate this unprecedented time. Have a question you want answered? Ask here. In today’s edition of “Ask the Newsroom,” we’ve answered related to the reopening of Illinois, following Gov. J.B. Pritkzer’s “Restore Illinois” plan. The entire state is set to move into Phase 3 this
Illinois’ COVID-19 Hospitalizations, Infection Rates Drop CHICAGO — Gov. J.B. Pritzker says metrics used to measure the spread of the coronavirus are trending downward as Illinois prepares to further open businesses. Illinois’ rate of positive COVID-19 tests, which hit a high of 23% in April, is roughly 9%. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations is at
UPDATE on April 8, 2020: Child care at the Stephens Family YMCA will be expanded to all essential workers identified by the state. To register and for a complete list of occupations that qualify, contact Cody Flowers at cody@ccymca.net. Include your occupation and place of employment in your initial email to Cody. CHAMPAIGN – The Stephens