Care advocates and community leaders are joining forces to demand bold action from Illinois lawmakers and ensure care is prioritized as a public investment during an upcoming virtual town hall.
Chicago, IL — A new report titled, In Illinois, Care Can’t Wait: Prioritizing Our Public Dollars for Illinois’ Families to Live, Age, and Work with Dignity, reveals that decades of underinvestment and inequitable budget decisions have left Illinois families struggling with the high costs of care. The report urges state and federal policymakers to prioritize care as a public good that includes investments in affordable child care, Medicaid, Medicare, paid family leave, and aging and disability care. It calls on lawmakers to ensure that the wealthiest and big corporations contribute their fair share to build the care economy Illinois families need and deserve.
The report, from Care Can’t Wait Illinois shows how the devaluing of care and outdated revenue policies have created persistent shortfalls that leave families without the essential care they need and deserve. Without bold, progressive revenue and policy solutions, families, caregivers, and the care workforce will continue to fall through the cracks.
“Illinois has an opportunity to lead the nation by treating care as the essential infrastructure it is,” said Nicole Jorwic, Chief Program Officer at Caring Across Generations, “families, caregivers, and workers across the state have dealt with an underfunded system for far too long. Investing in aging and disability care, paid leave, and child care is more than just good policy, it’s essential for a just and sustainable economy. It allows families to work, care, and live with stability. Family caregivers, underpaid and undervalued care workers have filled the gaps in care, to the detriment of their own financial security. These investments will support family budgets and are good for our state economy, a true win/win.”
Greg Kelley, President of SEIU Healthcare IL, IN, MO, and KS, emphasized that “care work is the backbone of our economy and yet despite years of workers organizing and making significant progress in Illinois—we started out with a $1 an hour and no collective bargaining rights—too many care workers are still paid poverty wages. Investing in care means investing in the people who make all other work possible. Illinois has an opportunity to lead the nation by ensuring every care worker earns family-sustaining wages and benefits with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
Amber Smock, Vice President of Advocacy at Access Living, added that “our disability community depends on reliable care and accessible services to live full, independent lives. For too long, people with disabilities have faced systemic barriers created by underfunded programs. A just care economy must center intersectional solutions that reflect the realities of disabled people, caregivers, and families alike.”
Samantha Alloway of The Arc of Illinois said that “families of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve more than survival. They deserve support and stability. Strengthening Medicaid and expanding home-and community-based services will help thousands of Illinoisans live and age with dignity in the places they call home.”
Starr de Los Santos of Women Employed noted that “paid family and medical leave isn’t just a workplace benefit. It’s a lifeline. Families shouldn’t have to choose between earning a paycheck and caring for a loved one. Establishing a statewide paid family leave program will make Illinois stronger, healthier, and more equitable for all.”
This report makes clear what families here already know: underinvestment has pushed care systems to the breaking point. Families face impossible choices, like paying rent or paying for child care, working full-time jobs while scrambling for affordable care, and providing essential work without fair pay or stability. This report is both a call to action and a roadmap: Illinois can either continue with cuts or choose to build a care economy that works for everyone.
The report outlines a path forward through four key priorities:
- Aging & Disability Care for Illinoisans to Live and Age with Dignity: Strengthen Medicaid home- and community-based services, support good union jobs for direct care workers with family-sustaining wages and benefits, and Establish a statewide long-term care public insurance benefit so all Illinoisans have the freedom to choose where they live and age without having to impoverish themselves to qualify for Medicaid services.
- Paid Leave for Illinois Families to Take Time to Care: Establishing a statewide paid family and medical leave program that covers all workers, regardless of income or job type.
- Child Care and Early Learning that Works for Illinois Families: Make child care affordable and accessible for every family by significantly expanding state and federal investments to reach all families who need child care and support payments to providers that reflect the true cost of care.
- A Fair Tax Code to Raise Revenue and Prioritize Care: Creating a fairer state tax code that ensures the wealthiest Illinoisans and large corporations pay their fair share to fund vital services and raise progressive revenue and reject tax cuts for the wealthiest and big corporations on the state and federal level. T
You can view the full report here. To discuss the findings and next steps, Care Can’t Wait Illinois and Caring Across Generations will host a virtual town hall, “When We Fight, We Win: Funding the Future of Care Illinois” on Thursday, October 30 at 6:00 p.m. CT. The virtual town hall will bring together advocates, care workers, and policymakers to outline solutions and mobilize collective action ahead of the next legislative session.
Illinois can be a leader in valuing care. When we protect care services, strengthen Medicaid and invest in affordable, accessible aging and disability care, child care, paid leave, and care jobs, we aren’t just helping individual families, we’re building a stronger, fairer care infrastructure and economy where every community has the chance to live and age with dignity with adequate support.
The event will include ASL and Spanish translation. RSVP here.