NAPERVILLE – With Illinois still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) is encouraging residents to make use of two new testing sites in DuPage County starting next Tuesday, June 16. All residents of DuPage County can be tested, and no appointment, doctor referral, or insurance is needed.

“I’m pleased that DuPage County residents will soon have access to not one, but two new testing sites,” Ellman said. “I can’t stress the importance of mass testing enough. Each test that’s administered is another step closer to the eventual eradication of this virus, and a return to normal life.”

A drive-through COVID-19 testing site will open at the DuPage County Complex on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. The site will be accessible through the County Campus’ main entrance off County Farm Road Tuesday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., or until 400 tests are completed each day. The COVID-19 test will be free. All residents of DuPage County can be tested, and no appointment, doctor referral, or insurance is needed.

To ensure the safety of testing personnel, the test will be done while you are sitting in your vehicle. You must be sitting at a functioning window and cannot exit your vehicle while at the test site. No motorcycles will be allowed to enter.

In addition, DuPage County is supporting a testing site in Willowbrook. Beginning this week and continuing until August, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, testing will be available through Pillars Community Health with drive-up testing at Anne M. Jeans Elementary School in Willowbrook.

Testing at the Willowbrook site will be available to anyone with symptoms of COVID-19, or anyone with a known exposure to COVID-19, high-risk patients, first responders, health care workers or essential workers who wish to be tested. Limited tests are available and an appointment is required for this site.

To schedule the appointment, please call (708) 745-5277 and follow the prompts. Appointments will be scheduled in the following time slots: Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to noon and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to .1 p.m. Insurance will be billed; if you do not have insurance, please call Pillars Community Health at (708) 745-5277 to discuss options.

To learn more, visit the DuPage County COVID-19 Dashboard: www.dupagehealth.org/covid19data.

DEERFIELD - In an effort to ensure families have a safe place for their kids to return to as parents return to work, State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) is urging child care providers to apply for the Child Care Restoration grant program, which she supported as part of the Fiscal Year 2021 state budget. 

“Without safe and reliable child care, many families won’t be able to return to work at a time when they need steady income more than ever to get back on their feet,” Morrison said. “Child care programs want to be able to serve families, but they are strapped for cash due to lack of money coming in during the pandemic. These grants will allow these facilities to be able to keep their doors open.”

The Child Care Restoration grant program will dedicate at least $270 million of the state’s Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency Fund to support the economic health of child care providers as the state’s economy continues to reopen in the coming weeks and months. 

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in partnership with the Illinois Department of Human Services, is charged with developing the grant program for licensed child care providers. The Child Care Restoration Grants will be administered by the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies.

The “Intent to Apply” survey launched Wednesday and is available online here. The information gathered will help grant writers create the grants, to be released in July. Eligible providers will receive their first installments later this summer. The opportunity to respond to the survey will close on June 19 at 5 p.m.

More information will be added to www.ilgateways.com/financial-opportunities/restoration-grants. People are encouraged to continue to check back frequently for information and resources.

CHAMPAIGN - To help restore child care in Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic, State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) announced a $270 million Child Care Restoration grant program, provided by the new state budget. 

“Child care services are an essential service to support families as they return to work and it is critical to our state’s economic recovery,” Bennett said. “This grant program will focus on helping child care providers stay in business.” 

The Child Care Restoration grant program will dedicate at least $270 million of the state’s Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency (CURE) Fund to support the economic health of child care providers as the state’s economy continues to reopen in the coming weeks and months. 

As part of CURE, the Business Interruption Grants Program is specifically designed to support businesses that endure lost revenue due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in partnership with the Illinois Department of Human Services, is charged with developing the grant program for licensed child care providers. The Child Care Restoration Grants will be administered by the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies.

The “Intent to Apply” survey launched Wednesday and is available online here. The information gathered will help inform the development of the grants program to be released in July 2020, and providers will receive their first installments later this summer. The opportunity to respond to the survey will close on June 19, 2020 at 5 p.m.

More information will be added to https://www.ilgateways.com/financial-opportunities/restoration-grants. People are encouraged to continue to check back frequently for information and resources.

MARYVILLE – In an effort by the General Assembly to restore child care during the COVID-19 pandemic, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) announced a $270 million Child Care Restoration grant program, provided by the new state budget. 

“For many parents, ensuring their quality child care providers have the resources for reopening safely is crucial to feel comfortable transitioning back to work,” Crowe said. “State funds are available for support, and I strongly encourage all eligible providers to apply.” 

The Child Care Restoration grant program will dedicate at least $270 million of the state’s Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency (CURE) Fund to support the economic health of child care providers as the state’s economy continues to reopen in the coming weeks and months. 

As part of CURE, the Business Interruption Grants Program is specifically designed to support businesses that endure lost revenue due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in partnership with the Illinois Department of Human Services, is charged with developing the grant program for licensed child care providers. The Child Care Restoration grants will be administered by the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies.

The “Intent to Apply” survey launched Wednesday and is available online here. The information gathered will help inform the development of the grants program to be released in July 2020, and providers will receive their first installments later this summer. The opportunity to respond to the survey will close on June 19, 2020 at 5 p.m.

More information will be added to www.ilgateways.com/financial-opportunities/restoration-grants. People are encouraged to continue to check back frequently for information and resources.

CHICAGO – A new cash assistance program will provide financial support to Chicago residents who were excluded from federal stimulus aid, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) announced.

“Our families who were left out of federal aid packages have been facing massive levels of uncertainty during already difficult times,” Lightford said. “I applaud the Open Society Foundations and other funders for their commitment to helping fill the gap for people who may feel abandoned by their government. Also, thank you to Mayor Lightfoot and The Resurrection Project for their partnership in these efforts. ”

The City of Chicago announced the launching of the Chicago Resiliency Fund Wednesday. The $5 million fund was established with the help of a group of funders, including Open Society Foundations.

The Resurrection Project, a longstanding nonprofit organization committed to creating healthier communities throughout Chicago, will serve as the lead fiscal agent for the fund. To ensure as many eligible Chicagoans participate as possible, The Resurrection Project will convene a diverse group of community-based organizations to conduct outreach and identify households excluded from the federal stimulus relief including: Access Living, ARISE, Austin People Action Center, Cabrini Green Legal Aid, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos, Centro Romero, Chicago Community and Worker’s Rights, Chicago State University, Communities United, Enlace Chicago, Habilitate Systems, Hana Center Heartland Alliance, Indo-American Center, Latino Union, Latinos Progresando, Logan Square Neighborhood Association, Northwest Side Housing Center, Puitak Center, Southwest Organizing Project, United African Organization, Austin Coming Together, Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation, Greater Grow Englewood, Metropolitan Family Services and the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

The fund will provide $1,000 per household for eligible Chicagoans, including undocumented individuals, mixed-status families, those recently released from jail, low-income college students, dependent adults and people experiencing homelessness. Applications will become available June 22. Find more information and apply at www.resurrectionproject.org/chicagofund.

As I made my way to Cicero and Monroe on Thursday, I saw block after block of boarded up store fronts and empty lots and buildings in disrepair. Then, it dawned on me that parts of the West and South Sides of Chicago have looked like this since I could remember — destroyed and abandoned.

When I arrived, the area was surrounded by local residents who, quite frankly, were not interested in yet another spectacle in their neighborhood filled with empty promises and photo opportunities. And I agree with them.

CHICAGO – A new cash assistance program will provide financial support to Chicago residents who were excluded from federal stimulus aid, State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) announced.

“Federal stimulus packages systematically excluded mixed-status families,” Villanueva said. “This new fund covers those who were left behind and makes sure that everyone, regardless of status, gets the help they need.”

The City of Chicago is launching the Chicago Resiliency Fund in collaboration with Open Society Foundations and The Resurrection Project. The fund will provide $1,000 per household for eligible Chicagoans, including undocumented individuals, mixed-status families, dependent adults and returning residents.

Applications will become available June 22. Find more information and apply at www.resurrectionproject.org/chicagofund.

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs and State Senators Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) and Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) announced a new commemorative state coin this week to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote.

Senate Joint Resolution 28, sponsored by Gillespie and Hunter, authorized the State Treasurer to issue a coin to celebrate the landmark moment in history. The measure was approved unanimously by the General Assembly during the 2019 legislative session.

“One hundred years after women secured the right to vote, I am honored and privileged to celebrate the women who dedicated their lives to the suffrage movement, including African-American suffragists who continued to face racial barriers to the ballot box long after the ratification of the 19th amendment,” Hunter said. “Let us always remember and strive to emulate the persistence, courage and grit of these women and all who have fought to give a voice to the voiceless. There is nothing more American.”

“I am proud to celebrate the 100th anniversary of our hard-fought right to vote with this commemorative coin and by continuing our work to ensure that all people are included in our democracy,” Gillespie said. “We can't take anything for granted and we won't go backward.”

The coin was designed by Illinois artists Leslie Bodenstein and Jason Pickleman of JNL Graphic Design. They were selected through a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process. The coin is being minted by MTM Recognition out of Princeton, Illinois.

Congress passed the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on June 4, 1919. It was ratified by the Illinois General Assembly on June 10, 1919, followed by 35 other states. The 19th amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution on August 26, 1920.

The coin can be purchased online here.