¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý

Skip to main content
You have permission to edit this article.
Edit

Weather Alert

Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning continues for the following river in Illinois...

Big Muddy River near Plumfield and Murphysboro.

.Levels on the Big Muddy River will continue to fall, dropping below
flood stage near Plumfield and Murphysboro late Sunday or Monday.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks.

Additional information is available at www.weather.gov.

&&

...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL EARLY MONDAY MORNING...

* WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast.

* WHERE...Big Muddy River near Plumfield.

* WHEN...Until early Monday morning.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 8:30 PM CDT Tuesday the stage was 24.8 feet.
- Forecast...The river is expected to fall below flood stage
late Sunday evening and continue falling to 17.5 feet
Tuesday, April 22.
- Flood stage is 20.0 feet.
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood

&&

Illinois announces new investments to grow early childhood education and care field

  • 0
child care, day care, education, preschool
By Kenzie Dillow

(WSIL) -- The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced Monday new investments that strengthen and grow Illinois� early childhood education and care field. 

The investments include:

  • Increasing Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) reimbursement rates for all providers by 8% over 2022. CCAP provides low-income, working families with access to affordable, quality child care that allows them to continue working.
  • Increasing the CCAP income eligibility limit to include families with incomes below 225% of the Federal Poverty Line (up from the previous limits of 200% and 185%) and increasing the eligibility limit at redetermination to 275% of the Federal Poverty Line (up from 250% of the Federal Poverty Line). Using the latest available U.S. Census data, this could increase the number of children served by up to 20,000.
  • Continuing the Child Care Restoration Grant Extension through December 2022. It had been set to expire in June 2022. This will provide $60 million to approximately 2,400 childcare providers.
  • Extending the Strengthen and Grow Child Care Grant program through June 2023. These grants provide funding for eligible child care centers, child care homes, and group child care homes.
  • Lowering copays to $1 for CCAP-eligible families with a parent or guardian working in child care.
  • Implementing a 3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to the reimbursement rate for all Early Intervention services.

Additional policy changes are designed to benefit low-income families and support access to child care and other services:

  • Eliminating copays for families experiencing homelessness.
  • Expanding eligibility to parents/guardians attending online school from home.
  • Continuing to provide three months of child care assistance for unemployed parents seeking to reenter the workforce, through December 2022.
  • Investing in an early childhood enrollment campaign, including investments in community outreach.
  • Extending the hold on family fee collection for Early Intervention services through the end of this calendar year.

The changes will take effect July 1, 2022.