Dear Friends,

Summer has officially arrived, and PCA Illinois has been busy! We've been hard at work providing educational trainings and webinars, organizing events like our upcoming annual conference, and much more. As we look ahead, we're excited about our annual Downtown Springfield Family FunFest on September 7th, which promises to be a day filled with games, activities, and togetherness for families across Illinois. Stay tuned for more details about this exciting event!



Congratulations to our Prevention Specialists Jennifer Samartano and Belinda Farr on their remarkable milestone of being members of the PCA Illinois team for many years! Their dedication and expertise have proven invaluable, benefiting not only PCA Illinois but also the partners and communities they serve, ultimately impacting the lives of children across Illinois.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks for your continued support and commitment to the well-being of Illinois children and families. Your dedication makes a significant difference in our communities. I hope you have a fun and safe summer!

Sincerely,

Congratulations to two of our Prevention Specialists: Jennifer and Belinda! They both recently celebrated work anniversaries with PCA Illinois.

Jennifer celebrated 20 years of service in March of 2024!   One of Jennifer's proudest accomplishments is developing and launching the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program for PCA Illinois shortly after she joined the agency.  Two decades later, thanks to Jennifer’s leadership and commitment to child sexual abuse prevention, the program has become a cornerstone of PCA Illinois’ mission. One of Jennifer's goals for the future at PCA Illinois is to "continue to be a part of one of the best prevention organizations with an incredible team of dedicated co-workers and to continue providing critical child abuse prevention education and awareness with others."

Belinda has been serving the Cook County area for 18 years and her proudest accomplishments include establishing the Happiest Baby on the Block as a useful resource statewide and taking on the role of Safe Baby Program Coordinator. Belinda has been instrumental in developing comprehensive trainings focused on creating safe environments for babies.  

Belinda's goals for her future with PCA Illinois are to continue to be an important resource for child safety and to reduce Shaken Baby Syndrome and sleep-related deaths in the state.

Thank you for your countless hours of training, service, and collaboration!

If you'd like more information on our Safe Baby Programming or are interested in scheduling a training, contact Belinda at bfarr@pcaillinois.org

Celebrating Legislative Victories and Continuing Our Advocacy for Early Childhood Programs

Prevent Child Abuse Illinois applauds Governor Pritzker, State Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, and State Representative Mary Beth Canty for their steadfast commitment to making Illinois the best place to raise a family! On Tuesday, June 25th, Governor Pritzker signed SB1 into law, establishing a new state department to unify all early childhood programs under one agency. The Department of Early Childhood will improve equitable access to Illinois's early childhood education and care (ECEC) services.

Sign up here to receive updates and learn about opportunities to engage in the Early Childhood Transition process.

On May 29th, the Illinois General Assembly passed the FY2025 Illinois State Budget, which includes over $235 million in investments for vital early childhood programs. We thank everyone who advocated for these crucial investments in children and families. While we applaud the General Assembly for these efforts, we will continue to advocate for the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) and Early Intervention (EI) programs, which still need more funding to provide quality services to children and families.

Save the Date!

• Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Webinar - July 24th
• The Downtown Springfield Family Funfest (Springfield) - September 7th
• Child Abuse and Neglect 101 Webinar - September 17th
• Illinois Alliance for Drug Endangered Children Conference (Springfield) - September 19th
• 30th Annual PCA Illinois Statewide Conference (Springfield) - October 17th & 18th