Illinois business leaders want more funding for child care as facilities close and demand increases
Bloomington-Normal has recently seen child care facility closures even though demand is still high.
Tag: funding
Urbana’s King Park revitalization plans include teen hangout area, gaga ball pit and outdoor classroom
After over 20 years of weathered playground amenities, King Park in Urbana will be restored and revitalized. The plans include more accessible walkways, basketball courts, a teen hangout terrace and an outdoor classroom.
Requests for new K-12 funding in Illinois likely to outstrip available resources
If advocates, stakeholders and members of the public were granted all their requests for public school funding next year, lawmakers would have to increase the state’s K-12 education budget by nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars.
Trump administration OKs partial SNAP funding for November after judges’ orders
The Trump administration said Monday it would use emergency funds to partially fund SNAP benefits for November but would not tap into other funds to provide full coverage.
Downstate transit groups say they need Illinois lawmakers to address funding shortfalls soon
Illinois transit agencies are facing funding shortfalls that could lead to service cuts and layoffs — an issue lawmakers are expected to address during the fall veto session beginning this week.
Raoul sues Trump administration for access to crime victim funding
The lawsuit is one of 35 such suits challenging Trump administration policies that Raoul has joined as part of a coalition of Democratic state attorneys general.
USDA’s end of diversity efforts in farm programs will mean ‘less food for the community’
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will no longer take a farmer’s race or gender into consideration for many of its loans and benefit programs.
Farmers in Illinois may lose conservation resources, allowing soil to ‘fly in the breeze’
After two years of funding cuts in Illinois, conservation advocates worry that soil health could suffer – and dust storms could become a greater risk.
Kickapoo trail expansion receives $9.5 million in state funding
Construction began in 2016 and the remaining goals are to improve the trailhead at Weaver Park in Urbana and complete the trails between St. Joseph to Ogden and Ogden to Oakwood.
Federal funding for these ag research labs ended. Now the search is on for new support
The Trump administration paused funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development in January, followed by a near-complete dismantling of the agency this spring, including the Feed the Future program.
City of Champaign receives state grant to develop countywide language access plan
The City of Champaign is receiving a state grant to develop a countywide plan supporting residents with limited English proficiency.
Lack of state funding could put Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District’s future projects on hold
The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District plans to expand its services next year, but that goal could be delayed if the state doesn’t provide the needed funding.
Trump plans order to cut funding for NPR and PBS
The Trump administration has drafted a memo to Congress outlining its intent to end nearly all federal funding for public media, which includes NPR and PBS, according to a White House official who spoke to NPR.
It’s not just Chicago. Downstate public transit agencies face funding challenges
State lawmakers are spending this spring’s legislative session debating how to solve a $771 million funding gap the Chicago area’s public transportation agencies face in 2026. But downstate public transit agencies are also facing a similar plight as costs rise
Groups demand release of after-school program funding
Organizations that provide tutoring, recreation and other after-school programs are calling on Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education to release $50 million that was included in this year’s budget to fund those programs.