Agenda and Minutes - Pillar 1: Ensure Illinois is Best in Nation for Raising Families, March 9, 2023

Pillar 1: Ensure Illinois is Best in Nation for Raising Families

First Quarter Meeting

March 9, 2023

10:00am - 11:00am

Recording

Members:

Appointment	Member	Affiliation
Commission Member	Representative Jeff Keicher	Illinois State Representative
Commission Member	Kate Maehr	Executive Director and CEO, Greater Chicago Food Depository
Commission Member	Senator Lightford	Illinois State Senator
IWGP Member	Joe Kienzler	Illinois Department of Agriculture
IWGP Member	Jane Flanagan	Acting Director, Illinois Department of Labor
Public Member	Meredith Byers	UniServ Director, Illinois Education Association
Public Member	Lisa Cohen	Illinois Department of Human Services
Public Member	Stephanie Hammer	Illinois Education Association
Public Member	Colleen Burns	State Engagement and Innovation Lead, Greater Chicago Food Depository

Administrators:

Official	Affiliation
Dana Kelly	Chief Policy Officer, Illinois Department of Human Services
Kari Branham	Senior Public Service Administrator, Illinois Department of Human Services
Anna Merlinna Conant	Office Associate, Illinois Department of Human Services

Desired Outcomes:

• Introduce subcommittee members and structure
• Review Pillar 1 strategies
• Discuss intent to develop action plan goals
• Review Pillar Detail and Progress
• Generate Initial Concepts for FY2024 Pillar 1 Action Items
• Communicate Next Steps to Guide Work Ahead

Agenda:

1. Introductions/Welcome Roll Call (5 mins)
2. Public Comment - Open (2 mins)
   • Subject to written comment in advance
3. Overview of Subcommittee Purpose and Activities (5 mins)
4. Overview of Pillar Details/Progress (20 mins)
   1. Generate FY2024 Pillar 1 Action Items (25 mins)
   2. Who is the person on the committee who has the appropriate insight for each benefit program? Or can connect? What are the gaps in our knowledge? Who can fill those gaps?
   3. What are the challenges and what strategies? What strategies are underway?
5. Next Steps and Adjournment (5 mins)
   • Define work between meetings.

Meeting Minutes

Subcommittee members in attendance:

1. Kate Maehr - Poverty Commission member
2. Kim Tate - representative from the Office of Senator Kimberly Lightford, Poverty Commission member
3. Colleen Burns - public member
4. Lisa Cohen - public member
5. Stephanie Hammer - public member

Administrator: Dana Kelly, IDHS Chief Policy Officer

1. Introductions/Welcome/Roll Call - Administrator Kelly welcomed everybody and informed them that no chairperson has been identified yet for Pillar 1.
   1. Kate Maehr - Executive Director & CEO, Greater Chicago Food Depository
   2. Kim Tate - representative from the Office of Senator Kimberly Lightford, Poverty Commission member
   3. Stephanie Hammer - Associate General Counsel, Springfield Office, Illinois Education Association
   4. Colleen Burns - liaison for the Illinois Commission on Hunger
   5. Lisa Cohen - Division of Substance Use, Prevention and Recovery, IDHS
   6. Dana Kelly - Chief Policy Officer, IDHS; liaison to the Poverty Commission and the IWGP
   7. Kari Branham - Special Projects Administrator, IDHS; will take over the Poverty Commission once Dana goes to maternity leave
   8. Anna Conant - admin support for Dana Kelly
2. Public Comment - Subject to written comment in advance, none received.
3. Overview of Subcommittee Purpose and Activities -Administrator Kelly
   • Administrator Kelly gave a brief description of the Poverty Commission and its main goals which are reducing deep poverty in Illinois by 50% by 2026 and childhood poverty by 2031 and end all poverty by 2036. A five-year Strategic Plan was developed which outlined the five pillars or strategies geared towards the main goals. The meeting today is for Pillar 1 - Ensuring Illinois is Best for Raising Families.
   • The Commission is required to meet bi-annually but the subcommittees are not required to have any number of meetings a year. However, the plan is to meet 3-4 times a year because the subcommittees are meant to be the engine that will drive the work which will get reported to the Commission. The Commission will approve the report and in turn, report progress to the Governor and the General Assembly.
   • Membership of the subcommittee consists of Commission members, IWGP members and key stakeholders.
   • The subcommittee will identify one to three actions items that can be taken under Pillar 1. The group will monitor the progress of each action item throughout the year, and will determine who will lead each action item, what is the process, how progress will be measured and what is the timeline. Members are encouraged to think about what other additional information or resources are needed to figure out the action items.
4. Overview of Pillar 1 details/progress - Administrator Kelly
   • Pillar 1 is for ensuring Illinois is Best in nation for raising families. Strategies include:
     1. Ensure access to high quality childhood services, including early intervention, home visiting and affordable childcare;
     2. Find a method to replicate the federal child tax credit for families raising children; Administrator Kelly suggested to reflect particularly on some of the interventions that were put forth during the COVID-19 pandemic that were really effective means of reducing poverty overall and how can these be made permanent and not just a public health emergency response;
     3. Expand access to free and reduce school meals; and
     4. Increase participation in WIC by improving accessibility for those who are eligible.
   • Administrator Kelly mentioned that the Governor recently introduced Strong Start which is very focused on maximizing the value of Early Childhood system in Illinois, how to expand early intervention, home visiting and childcare access. A lot of funding was put into expanding childcare service provider network and it is a priority of the Governor. Budget was also placed on food assistance programming that significantly impacts families.
   • State actions for FY23-
     1. CCAP reimbursement rate increases;
     2. Increasing the CCAP income eligibility limit to include families with incomes below 225% of the Federal Poverty Line;
     3. COLA for Early Intervention;
     4. Eliminating copays for families experiencing homelessness;
     5. 2022 Income Tax Rebate + Dependent Tax Rebate; and
     6. Maintaining PEBT and SNAP maximum benefit allotment
5. Generate FY2024 Pillar 1 Action Items - Administrator Kelly
   • Guide questions -
     1. Where does your expertise lie?
     2. What do we need to contribute to planning?
     3. What resources or reports should be guiding our work?
   • Member Lisa Cohen asked if there is anybody from DHS Division of Early Childhood that has been identified for the subcommittee. Administrator Kelly mentioned that the invitation to join the subcommittees was extended to all IDHS staff; but targeted outreach will be done to make sure of their participation. WIC Head Stephanie Bess indicated interest in serving the subcommittee but was not able to attend today.
   • Administrator Kelly said a lot of information can be obtained from the Greater Chicago Food Depository in terms of the work that has been done in the area of expanding access to free and reduced school meals.
   • There is a need for more strategy to replicate federal and child tax credit. Administrator Kelly said she may ask experts from another pillar who work on these types of economic security issues to join the subcommittee.
   • Administrator Kelly and Ms. Branham will work together to bring in more additional people that has been identified as needed to the subcommittee.
   • Administrator Kelly directed the attention of the members to the Pillar brief that she previously sent and discussed the recommendations on how to address the strategies.
   • Administrator Kelly said one thing that can be done is to come up with a map that shows where the "childcare deserts" are in the State and determine who are the potential partners that could build additional childcare supports in those areas.
   • Member Stephanie Hammer mentioned the tax refund in 2021 for childcare expenses will be a huge benefit for everybody with children. Administrator Kelly said it was a benefit that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic and there are already legislative bills trying to replicate it; the group can look at what those bills are and see what needs the group's advocacy and support.
   • Commission member Kate Maehr noted that the recommendations on expanding access to free and reduced school meals reflect the body of work that the Illinois Commission to End Hunger has committed to. And thus, the focus is to advance these recommendations to help children across the State access the federal nutrition programs. She added that there is no need to worry about finding new members for the subcommittee since the Poverty Commission and the Commission to End Hunger have committed to a collaboration and member Colleen Burns has done an amazing job of engaging people across the State. She suggested to instead "amplify" the folks who are already at the table. She instead asked Colleen if there are any opportunities she would like to specifically highlight.
   • Member Colleen Burns highlighted the summer program created by the Federal Government to connect kids to link cards in the summer months. It's a new program that will require a lot of setting up making sure that it will be successful. She also mentioned the flexible breakfast models championed by the Commission on Hunger which has been working on a legislation to provide a small start up funding to schools and school districts that are interested in implementing a breakfast program. The legislation has been introduced and is winding its way through the process. She provided the bill number on the chat.
   • Commission member Maehr said that the subcommittee can work on supporting the Federal summer EBT program through looking at all the tools (such as traditional media and social media) and networks that can make sure that the information about the program and how to access it will be clear and actionable for all families across the State.
   • With regards to the mapping that was earlier mentioned by Administrator Kelly, Commission member Maehr mentioned that the GCFD has an abundance of data and that there is no need to go out and do additional mapping or gathering. People can find information on the GCFD website such as about meal participation and other nutrition program information and others. Administrator Kelly will collaborate with member Colleen Burns with regards to all the GCFD work that could be shared to the subcommittee as well.
   • On the recommendations on WIC, Commission member Maehr shared that these recommendations came out through a rigorous process involving different levels of stakeholders and based on large amounts of data that show a staggering number of children and families struggling with basic access to food. She particularly mentioned the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic- the likelihood for African American and Latino families with children to suffer food insecurity is so much greater than the general population and this got so much deeper during COVID. Shed added that safety nets were created that make it really difficult for people to access programs. Finally, she said there is a need to take the opportunity to make sure that people get connected to the programs, streamline the programs, raise awareness on the programs and take away the stigma.
   • Member Colleen Burns shared that they are working on understanding WIC participants, their perception of the program and the barriers that families face in accessing the program. They talked to different people including the community-based organizations, the WIC directors across the State and people who have been accessing the program. The result of the research will be the foundation of the marketing campaign that the Commission on Hunger will be executing in 2023 that will specifically target individuals and families who are eligible for WIC. She will share the learnings to the group once available.
6. Next Steps and Adjournment
   • Administrator Kelly will get Stephanie Bess to join the committee. Email will be circulated within the subcommittee and will include childcare people to help with building up the action steps.
   • Follow up communications will be sent starting next week to all 5 subcommittees asking members what they would consider as FY24 goals that could be related to them.
   • Subcommittees will probably meet once more before July 2023.
   • Administrator Kelly also informed the group that they can email Kari Branham while she is on maternity leave.
   • The meeting was adjourned at 10:58 am.