Childrens Advocates for Change

In November 2016, Voices for Illinois Children released our “Agenda to Build Better Lives," which lays out Voices' positive vision for how public investments in children, families, and communities are essential to putting Illinois on the right path. Through policy analysis, data collection and dissemination, convening stakeholders, and holding policymakers accountable, Voices seeks to:

• Ensure adequate state revenue to invest in children and their families including support for early childhood education and programs and investments in youth and their communities, informed by the use of racial equity impact assessments which consider the likely equity impacts of proposed policies and funding decisions,
• Improve tax fairness through a non-flat state income tax, a Child Tax Credit, and doubling the state's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC),
• Strengthen family economic security through paid family and medical leave as well as children's savings accounts, and
• Strengthen educational outcomes by ensuring children gain early math skills and addressing chronic absenteeism.

Driven by our Kids Count data, Fiscal Policy Center expertise, and a proven ability to help shape public policy conversations, Voices uses our unique position to make policy choices clear and, as our name suggests, be a strong voice on behalf of all children and their families in Illinois. Strategies for achieving successes and improving the lives of children include:

Fiscal Policy Analysis: Through our Fiscal Policy Center (FPC), Voices provides timely, credible, and accessible analyses of state budget issues. Reports and analysis are provided to policymakers, advocacy groups, the media, and the broader public. To maximize our impact, staff uses effective communications and outreach strategies to help shape policy debates and make crucial policy choices clear. The FPC is a trusted source for thoughtful, balanced analysis. We represent Illinois as a member of the State Priorities Project, a network of nonprofit organizations in more than 40 states that shares best practices, advocacy strategies, and resources in working towards a more just and equitable America.

Community Engagement: Voices Leadership Committees (VLCs) advance Voices' goals through engaging a network of local committees and hundreds of individuals to educate communities (parents, community leaders and policy-makers) and build broad support for issues and programs that help all Illinois children thrive and succeed. These volunteer-driven committees have built legislator support for early childhood funding, advocated for quality children's health coverage, and developed long-term relationships with legislators around Voices' priorities.

Public Awareness Campaigns: Voices staff identified the lack of adequate coverage in the press about Illinois' ongoing budget crisis and stalemate among elected officials as an opportunity for Voices to bring greater attention to the hurt being felt by families and children. Voices raises public awareness and support for responsible fiscal policies through our involvement with the Responsible Budget Coalition, which maintains an active social media presence, as well as talking directly with reporters and encouraging them to cover this story. Voices more than doubled earned media hits in 2015 over the previous year and cultivated personal relationship with reporters in top tier markets in Illinois. Key strategies consists of providing background data and context and connecting reporters with families and providers who have been harmed by inadequate state investment in early childhood and family economic security.

In 1987, a dedicated group of civic, business, community, academic, and philanthropic leaders established Voices for Illinois Children to develop and promote strategies that would improve conditions for all children throughout Illinois. Over the years, Voices has grown into a powerful and well-respected advocate on behalf of children. We unite community leaders and people who care passionately about children into a statewide network that helps establish new policies and implements innovative programs to improve education, health care, and family economics.

Today, Voices employs a diverse staff of professionals who advance Voices' mission every day. Voices' President, Tasha Green Cruzat, has over 25 years of experience working in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Immediately prior to joining Voices in March 2016, Tasha served as the Chief of Staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. Previously Tasha was with the State of Illinois as the Senior Management Advisor to the Governor's Office of Management and Budget and before that as the Chief Operating Officer for Central Management Services, one of the largest state agencies. Ms. Cruzat also has experience leading non-profit organizations. She was the Executive Director of High Jump, a non-profit organization devoted to providing enriched academic opportunities for talented, low-income middle -school students in Chicago.

Voices' program staff includes Mitch Lifson, Senior Policy Analyst with more than 20 years of experience working in state and local governments, including as a policy and legislative adviser for the Illinois Department of Revenue. Leslie Helmcamp is a Policy Analyst focusing on efforts to reduce youth incarceration and advocate for state investments to support youth. Leslie also manages Voices' Illinois Kids Count Program. Prior to joining Voices, Leslie was a policy analyst with the Center for Public Priorities in Austin, Texas where she worked on economic opportunity issues, including improving college access and completion and supporting low-income families to become more financially secure. Madelyn James is Voices' Early Childhood Project Manager and is responsible for building an approach that advocates for supports that benefit the “whole child." Madelyn has developed a wealth of knowledge through years as a direct service provider, Head Start and state preschool teacher, adjunct faculty member with Chicago City Colleges, and consultant and member of local, state, and national early childhood collaborations.

In our nearly 30-year history, Voices has established a long-track record of success in putting policies in place that build better lives for all children in Illinois. Our accomplishments include, but are not limited to, leading efforts toward the creation of:

• Healthy Families Illinois – home visiting program to help new families learn how to have healthy relationships with their children.
• KidCare – health insurance program for children from low-income families. Family Care followed later, which expanded health insurance coverage to low-income working parents.
• Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit – a refundable tax credit that benefits low-income workers and their families. Voices was a leader in making the tax credit permanent and helped prevent threats to the popular and effective benefit for working families.
• Preschool for All – universal quality preschool to all 3- and 4-year-olds.
• Childcare Subsidies – when the Governor cut eligibility for state subsidies to childcare for low-income working parents from those earning 185% of the poverty level ($44,955 annual income for a family of four) to 50% of the poverty level ($12,150 annual income for a family of four), blocking access to childcare assistance for about 90% of previously eligible families, Voices fought back. Eligibility was restored to 162% of poverty ($39,366 annual income for a family of four) with a promise to go back to 185% once a full state budget is enacted.

The State of Illinois is in fiscal crisis. The continued deadlock over passing a full-year budget have meant hardship for families and non-profit organizations. Critical programs to children's development, including after-school, home visiting, bilingual education, teen pregnancy prevention, violence protection for families with young children, youth incarceration reduction, homeless youth, and many other programs and services, have had their state funding cut or completely eliminated, causing harm to an estimated one million Illinois residents.

During this time of discord in Springfield, Voices is a strong proponent of working closely with partners who share our commitment to improving the quality of life for children and families throughout the state. Through these partnerships and Voices' leadership, we are working to achieve new victories for Illinois' children's and families, including enacting policies such as paid sick and family leave, expungement of juvenile offenders' records, doubling the state Earned Income Tax Credit, and creating a state Child Tax Credit. Approving a full-year budget for Illinois is of utmost importance for the state and its residents' future success, and Voices will advocate for a budget that increases revenue instead more cuts to vital services. As Voices celebrates our 30th anniversary in 2017, we will continue to be a leader in laying out a positive vision for how public investments in children, families, and communities are essential to putting Illinois on the right p