Date: March 12, 2015

Re: Illinois Early Intervention Proposed Budget Cuts and Eligibility Changes for Fiscal Year 2016

Dear ILOTA Members,

We need your help now! Governor Rauner has proposed cutting $23M from the state’s Early Intervention (EI) budget. Under the Governor’s proposal, children with delays in development of less than 50% would no longer be eligible to receive services through the EI program. Currently in Illinois, children are eligible for EI if they have a 30% delay.  Also, a 50% delay threshold for eligibility makes it nearly impossible for children to qualify for services beyond infancy, and the gaps in development can become larger and harder to close. This issue not only impacts service delivery in EI but also future school-based services for these children. If services were reduced or eliminated by these cuts, there would be a need for increased services when these children reach school age. ILOTA is partnering with the DT, PT, and SLP state associations to form a coalition called Save Illinois Early Intervention. An action plan has been developed to support efforts for EI advocacy. ILOTA is working with our lobbyist, Maureen Mulhall, to develop a fact sheet that can be distributed to Governor Rauner, Senators and Representatives as well as their staffs.

What You Can Do To Help:

  1. Visit, call and/or write your Illinois General Assembly Legislators personally to let them know you oppose the cut.  You can look up your representative through the state’s board of elections site: http://www.elections.il.gov/districtlocator/addressfinder.aspx
  • You can use this template to email legislators: http://www.kintera.org/site/lookup.asp?c=bkLWKbORLlK4E&b=9261177
  1. Have the families you serve do the same!
  • Encourage families to give anecdotal accounts of how Early Intervention has impacted their family!
  1. Email Governor Rauner through his constituent page and let him know you oppose the cuts: http://www.2illinois.gov/gov/Pages/ContacttheGovernor.aspx
  • You can use this template to email Governor Rauner: http://www.kintera.org/site/lookup.asp?c=bkLWKbORLlK4E&b=9261175
  1. Email or Fax a copy of your letter to:
  • Amy Zimmerman, Director, Chicago Medical-Legal Partnership for Children, [email protected] or fax to 312-427-8419
  • Karen Berman, Assistant Director Illinois Policy, Ounce of Prevention Fund, [email protected] or fax to: 312-346-2981
  1. Join the Early Intervention Facebook Pages for updates and more information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/isupportei and https://www.facebook.com/illinoiseichildren