Dear state lawmakers and Governor Rauner,

As you probably know, Illinois’ Early Intervention (EI) program provides families who have children birth to three, with diagnosed disabilities, developmental delays, or substantial risk of significant delays, with resources and support that help them in maximizing their child's development.

As proposed, Governor Rauner’s fiscal year 2016 budget would cut $23 million from Early Intervention across Illinois and effectively boot thousands of kids from the program.  The Rauner Administration is proposing to increase the definition of a developmental delay from 30% to 50%, denying thousands of children and their families access to the services they need. Knowing that roughly one-fifth of an Illinois median family income is spent on infant care, this is a move that would cripple household budgets and depress local economies across the state.

As an industry, Early Intervention is a job creator in more ways than one. In addition to directly responsible for the employment over 70,000 full-time workers, every 100 new jobs created in the Illinois child care industry creates 56 new jobs in other industries, for a total of 156 new jobs in Illinois. In addition to directly contributing $2.4 billion to the state economy, we also know that every $1 spent in Early Intervention saves up to $13 in future costs. From both short-term and long-term perspectives, it is abundantly clear that funding EI in Illinois makes fiscal sense.

An investment in Early Intervention services is not only economically-sensible – it is morally the right thing to do. Children who have diagnosed disabilities, developmental delays or substantial risk of significant delays did not choose them, and rely on their parents to make decisions that are in their own best interest. In this world of tough decisions, no parent should have to choose between whether their child gets the treatment they need, or the bills get paid.

Thus, as taxpayers, and as members of the Illinois Early Intervention community, we urge all state lawmakers, including Governor Rauner, to freeze and reverse any cuts to Early Intervention services in the state. Saving Early Intervention in Illinois alone will not fix the state’s budget challenges, but is a major step in the right direction. An investment in Early Intervention is a moral, practical investment in job creation, economic stability, and most importantly, in children.

Please do your part to protect families and their children, who depend on Early Intervention services in Illinois.