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* WICS TV…
Bilingual employees at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services are overworked and underpaid.
It’s why the agency is struggling to keep up with the state law to employ at least 194 bilingual staffers across the state. […]
Back in 2007 when this law was adopted, the department had 154 bilingual staff. […]
As of June 2018, the department only reported having 158 bilingual staff members.
The Epilepsy Foundation of North Central Illinois was supposed to get $500,000 from the state this year, with the DeKalb office’s share being $79,000, Garcia-Martinez said. This year, however, there was no money from the state.
The DeKalb office rent costs $950 a month. Other monthly expenses include $500 a month for transportation, which Garcia-Martinez said is imperative to DeKalb County since many clients face transportation limitations.
Johnson said the office has applied for a community-needs grant through the DeKalb County Community Foundation but has not yet heard back.
Garcia-Martinez said the only difference in the application this year for state funds was a change in the number of clients. She said the DeKalb office serves 81 clients with epilepsy, with more than 400 clients who receive additional support services.
* Daily Herald…
For more than a decade, the Child Advocacy Center of McHenry County collected $13 for every traffic, misdemeanor and felony conviction — a deal negotiated years ago among agency and county leaders, Executive Director Misty Marinier said. The funding has been crucial for the nonprofit’s operations, which include conducting forensic interviews and offering free services for victims of child sexual and physical abuse, among other violent crimes, she said.
However, a recent statewide overhaul of the system set court fees collected by all CACs at $10 per offense, and funding from traffic cases has been eliminated.
The impact on the McHenry County center? A projected loss of at least $120,000 a year, or 40% of its $300,000 budget. […]
A sunset clause was included in House Bill 4594 when it passed about a year ago, forcing lawmakers to revisit the legislation by the end of 2020. When the General Assembly reconvenes in January — six months after the law went into effect — it is expected to review the data that has been collected so far and “adjust the numbers accordingly,” said Andersson, the bill’s chief sponsor. “We didn’t pretend like we knew everything.”
* Meanwhile, from a union press release…
Just days before the new semester UIS Administration announced deep cuts to programs and budgets that support teaching and learning at UIS. Despite receiving a 5% increase over last year’s appropriation from the state, UIS administrators are cutting as much as 10% from their operating budgets.
* But…
Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Colleen Callahan says authority to hire more people has helped ease morale at the agency.
DNR has been working to fill nearly 100 positions this year, and the fiscal year 2020 budget, which began July 1, allows for a full-time-equivalent headcount of 1,250. There have been some retirements and some additions, and as of last week, there were about 1,192 positions filled.
“It means that we can actually begin to do our jobs more effectively and impactfully again,” Callahan said. “Staff would say that for a long period of time, they felt like they were in survival mode. Now, they feel like they survived. And now that we can hire again, it says help is on the way, and it’s a big morale booster, for sure.”
* Related…
* ‘Nearly Every District Is Looking For Teachers’: Teacher Shortage Still A Struggle In Illinois
* Relief at Last - By Chief Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier: Fortunately, there has been a dramatic change. This year – for the first time – I was able to report to my colleagues at the Conference of Chief Justices that Illinois could not only boast of a functional court, but also of a government that was finally able to provide the judicial branch with a timely and workable budget. For Fiscal Year 2020, our appropriation from the General Revenue Fund was increased to $405,321,200, a figure that is $60.5 million higher than each of the previous five years.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 10:10 am
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While I do support the union, I think having one contract for all state agencies is a problem. DCFS is a difficult agency to staff. And there isn’t an incentive to work there when you can get paid the exact same wage by working at other agencies. But with one AFSCME contract, you cannot pay any additional incentives to work at DCFS.
I also think there should be programs in place to help pay for the cost of a MSW degree. I know there have been discussions, but I don’t remember any meaningful legislation coming out in the last session in that area.
I no longer work for DCFS, but did a few years ago.
Comment by A Jack Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 10:27 am
=For more than a decade, the Child Advocacy Center of McHenry County collected $13 for every traffic, misdemeanor and felony conviction =
I’m glad that’s changed, and wish it were gone altogether. Frankly, there are a ridiculous number of fees attached to court cases, often having absolutely nothing to do with the offense charged. Agencies are being funded on the backs of those who can least afford to pay, and for whom the consequences of non-payment can be devastating.
Comment by JoanP Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 10:39 am
Governor Pritzker’s team has shown they can get legislation passed with a supermajority and promote themselves wonderfully. Still waiting to see if they can actually govern. So far color me unimpressed.
Comment by Sonny Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 11:14 am
I know the DNR does important things. but… The idea that they are able to hire while education and DCFS are struggling is backwards to me.
Comment by Bruce (no not him) Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 11:34 am
Glad to see DNR get some staffing. Can’t remember when I last saw a game warden.
I understand the thought that DCFS is more important than DNR. Government has to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time.
I worked at DCFS and more money alone will not fix it. It needs effective management.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 12:02 pm
We have an parenting epidemic in our society. It is over running social services and it, not money, is the reason people don’t want to teach. Most teachers still above median income throughout the state.
Teachers have to teach kids that are not required to come to school, do homework, or stay awake. Plus deal with the never ending rotation of abuse and neglect and all the issues that come with it.
Comment by the Patriot Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 1:14 pm
Both DCFS and DNR are hiring, so what’s the problem? It’s not like they’re recruiting from the same pool of applicants. I’m sure lots of State agencies are having issues finding bilingual employees, I don’t think it’s a problem unique to DCFS. But I think bilingual social workers are probably in high demand so it’s hard to hire them at DCFS.
Comment by MyTwoCents Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 7:33 pm