AGENDA and MINUTES - Pillar 4 subcommittee meeting March 8, 2024

Commission on Poverty Elimination and Economic Security

Subcommittee on Pillar 4: Address Barriers to Paid Work, Education, and Advancement

Meeting Minutes

Friday, March 8, 2024, 1:00-2:00 PM

Recording

Members:

Appointment Member Affiliation
Chairperson Crystal Bush UniServ Director, Illinois Education Association
Commission Member Senator Kimberly Lightford Illinois State Senator
IWGP Member Jane Flanagan Director, Illinois Department of Labor
IWGP Member Anna Koepel Legislative Director, Illinois Department of Labor
IWGP Member Jason Horwitz Deputy Director, Office of Policy Development, Planning, and Research, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
IWGP Member Carrie Thomas Deputy Director, Business Services, Illinois Department of Employment Security
Public Member Erion Malasi Director of Policy and Advocacy, Economic Security for Illinois
Public Member Heather Becker Region 12 Chairperson, Illinois Education Association
Public Member Amy Evans National Education Association
Public Member Gina Harris Member, Illinois Education Association; Board member, Oak Park and River Forest High School
Public Member Jeremy Rosen Director of Economic Justice, Shriver Center on Poverty Law
Public Member Dawn Thomas Project Director, Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map
Public Member Matt Bruce Executive Director, Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance
Public Member Bob Glaves Executive Director, Chicago Bar Foundation
Public Member /IDHS SME Jennifer Gentile Deputy Director, Bureau of Clinical Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities
Public Member /IDHS SME Sinthu Ramalingam Senior Policy Advisor, DHS-Division of Early Childhood
Public Member /IDHS SME Karina Lopez Director, DHS-Office of Hispanic and Latino Affairs; AD, Office of Welcoming Centers for Refugee and Immigrant Services

Administrator: Priya Khatkhate, DHS-Chief Policy Officer

Facilitators:

  1. Matthew Rodriguez - Institute of Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP)
  2. Nancy Toure - IRRPP

Agenda:

  1. Introductions/Welcome Roll Call
    1. Introduction of new subcommittee chair
    2. Introduction of new members
  2. Public Comment - subject to written comment in advance
  3. Approval of Meeting Minutes: December 4, 2023
  4. Review of Goals and Collective Input
    1. Goal 1 - Create a state-wide map of childcare availability and their services along with a map of the regional demand and comprehensively analyze those maps to identify the highest need areas with the largest service gaps
    2. Goal 2 - Design an advocacy strategy to address the highest need areas to ensure the increase of the number of high-quality childcare providers who offer flexible hours of service to meet the needs of a modern workforce
    3. Goal 3 - Expand the funding and reach of DHS's Employment Barrier Reduction Program by at least 25%
  5. Next Steps
  6. Adjournment

Minutes:

Subcommittee members in attendance:

  1. Crystal Bush - Subcommittee chair
  2. Jason Horwitz - IWGP member
  3. Carrie Thomas - IWGP member
  4. Margaret Decker - IWGP member
  5. Erion Malasi - public member
  6. Amy Evans - public member
  7. Gina Harris - public member
  8. Bob Glaves - public member
  9. Matt Bruce - public member
  10. Dawn Thomas - public member
  11. Sinthu Ramalingam - IDHS-SME
  12. Charles Hopkins - IDHS-SME
  13. Agata Fieske-Nesheiwat - IDHS-SME

Administrator: Priya Khatkhate, DHS-Chief Policy Officer

Admin support: Len Conant, IDHS-Office Coordinator

Facilitators:

  1. Matthew Rodriguez - Institute of Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP)
  2. Nancy Toure - IRRPP

Agenda:

  1. Introductions/Welcome Roll Call - 9 out of 17 members were present, quorum was declared.
    • Crystal Bush, Uniserv Director at the Illinois Education Association has volunteered to serve as chair of the Pillar 4 subcommittee.
    • The group welcomed new members:
    1. Bob Glaves - Executive Director, Chicago Bar Foundation
    2. Dawn Thomas - Project Director, Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map
    3. Matt Bruce - Executive Director, Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance
    4. Sinthu Ramalingam - Senior Policy Advisor, DHS-Division of Early Childhood
    5. Charles Hopkins - Interim Bureau Chief, IDHS-FCS, Office of Workforce Development
    6. Agata Fieske-Nesheiwat - Acting Bureau Chief, IDHS-FCS Bureau of Immigrant and Refugee Services
  2. Public Comment - subject to written comment in advance, none received.
  3. Approval of Meeting Minutes: December 4, 2023 - The group approved the December 4, 2024 meeting minutes.
  4. Review of Goals and Collective Input - updates on goals 1 and 2 will be discussed in the next meeting.
    1. Goal 1 - Create a state-wide map of childcare availability and their services along with a map of the regional demand and comprehensively analyze those maps to identify the highest need areas with the largest service gaps
    2. Goal 2 - Design an advocacy strategy to address the highest need areas to ensure the increase of the number of high-quality childcare providers who offer flexible hours of service to meet the needs of a modern workforce
    3. Goal 3 - Expand the funding and reach of DHS's Employment Barrier Reduction Program by at least 25%.
      1. Charles Hopkins gave an overview of DHS' Barrier Reduction Program (BRP) which started in FY22 with a goal of assisting able-bodied adults in Illinois combat barriers that prevent them from gaining employment or help maintaining employment. The program is funded thru the Zero Revenue TANF fund.
        • The number of customers who has benefited from the program are as follows: FY22=1,309; FY23=1,608; FY24 to date 1,589.
        • In relation to the goal, if the providers get a $7 million fund, the 25% goal could be attained or even exceed in FY25.
        • The baseline for the 25% goal is the previous $2.5 million funding and number of subrecipients which is 17. Increasing the subrecipients by 25% would mean increasing to 25-27 subrecipients in regions 2, 3, 4 and 5.
        • The current number of subrecipients however, has decreased to 13. Some providers choose not to return to the program after they ran out of funds because the process is like starting again from the beginning.
        • Last year's budget was $3 million and 15% of it went to admin cost. The actual amount dispersed is $2.5 million.
        • One issue with some providers is they are not spending all of their support services; it's already in the 4th quarter and some of them still have 90% funds left available for a variety of things.
        • Charles will be sharing the slide deck and a one-pager on IDHS' Employment BRP Guide to the group.
      2. Jason Horwitz gave an overview as well of DCEO's Supportive Services and Barrier Reduction Services in Job Training Programs.
        • These are services provided to people participating in job training programs or work-based learning programs that need support to ensure that they have the resources they need to continue attending the program and see it through to completion and even afterwards as they seek job and get used to employment.
        • Participants are mostly low income, with children, in debt, do not have their own vehicle, and other barriers that make it more difficult for them to participate in long period trainings especially in work-based learning program where they don't get paid.
        • There are 3 categories of programs where DCEO has some type of supportive and barrier reduction services: WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) Title I Programs; Job Training and Economic Development (JTED) Program and CEJA (Climate and Equitable Jobs Act) Job Training Programs. JTED is funded thru ARPA which will not be around much longer. CEJA will be around until 2045.
        • Through Barrier Reduction funding, 2,095 services have been provided at a total cost of $602,585. Majority of the services provided were related to (1) other services category which include stipends, broadband, cellphone acquisition and various fees; (2) transportation including car repairs, fees and rideshare; and (3) housing including rent, arrears and utilities.
        • DCEO will continue to identify places where they have flexibility to use barrier reduction funds.
  5. Discussion
    • The gaps previously identified under the focus areas are actually being addressed in goal 3 since these are activities under the barrier reduction programs by DHS and DCEO.
    • There is a need to continue having flexible funding from the state unless the feds change their approach on these programs.
    • The programs can use more promotion; share information on the programs to other organizations; subcommittee can suggest what information can DCEO share about the programs
    • Per Carrie Thomas, if there is enough track record for JTED or CEJA, one information that could be looked at is geographic differences on what people use the funds for e.g. are there parts of the state where the majority of the funds are used on housing, or transportation or broadband. The information can be used to make sure that the funding remain flexible.
    • Matthew suggested to think about a strategy or an advocacy type of influence to think about how to establish the barrier reduction program in its own line item instead of being attached, for example, in TANF funds.
    • Jason suggested looking at the federal level instead because federal funding is much more consistent and reliable. Also, DCEO will continue using resources to specifically provide barrier reduction funds and creating a separate line item has not been considered.
    • Matt Bruce raised the idea of centralizing the funding to have only one entity that has to make up the rules and do all of the processing.
    • To his point, Jason replied that the next step might be thinking about the best way to implement the programs and how to encourage people to use the money well and one way to do this might be centralizing the funds.
    • Matthew and team will research on barrier reduction programs in other states that are showing traction and can be used as models.
    • Carrie also suggested looking whether there are lessons that can be taken from the Homeless Response System's emergency fund in Chicago as mentioned by Matt.
    • Carrie asked if assistance with legal issues something that could be paid for under DCEO's programs such as eviction prevention or suspended driver's license.
    • Links shared:
  6. Next Steps
    • Discussion on IECAM map, whether or not more dimensions can be added
    • Think of designing an advocacy strategy to increase the amount of childcare availability particularly in regions with a high number of people experiencing poverty.
    • Next meeting to be held in May. Len will be reaching out.
  7. Adjournment - Carrie moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Gina. The group unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting at 2PM.