ACT Now IL Blog

Hello Advocates, I wanted to share some updates regarding the FY26 state budget. We recognize the difficult fiscal environment that shaped the FY26 budget and extend our deep appreciation to the many legislative champions and tireless advocates who stood up for afterschool programs throughout this process. Your voices have been critical in ensuring that afterschool…

Susan Stanton, Executive Director of ACT Now, has issued the following statement in response to the proposed elimination of dedicated funding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) and Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) in President Donald Trump’s budget proposal through consolidating Title funding into block grants and reducing overall funding: “ACT Now and our coalition partners…

Yesterday, in Chatham, our worst fears became reality. A place that was meant to be a safe, joyful space for children — an afterschool program where they laughed, learned, and felt protected — became the place of a horrific tragedy. A vehicle crashed into that space, stealing lives, injuring others, and leaving families, staff, and…

Dear Coalition Members, Yesterday, March 20th, 2025, the Trump Administration issued an Executive Order (EO) asking the Secretary of Education to take steps to close the U.S. Department of Education. As afterschool programs and community schools are critical, data-driven strategies to support students’ educational success and are funded through this department, ACT Now is closely following this issue. The EO requires the Secretary…

Afterschool Programs Zeroed Out In The Governor’s Proposed FY26 Budget Governor JB Pritzker’s proposed Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Budget leaves a glaring, urgent gap in serving children and families through afterschool that must be addressed immediately. Under the Governor’s leadership, Illinois as a state is doing a great deal to support our most vulnerable populations in the…

Hello Afterschool Advocates!   I hope you are all hanging in there. So many of you have expressed interest in our advocacy this year, and we’ve seen more engagement than ever! Since we all can’t be on an advocacy webinar together every single week, we wanted to look for ways to keep you updated with what’s…

In 2013, ACT Now brought together a diverse group of afterschool leaders to review research, state Standards, and feedback from youth development professionals. Their work culminated in the creation of the Illinois Afterschool Quality Standards, which were introduced in May 2016. These Standards were designed to provide a shared definition of program quality and promote…

By: Naomi Oster Happy Lights On Afterschool 2024! This year, on October 24, 2024, ACT Now’s celebration of the national day for afterschool included a field trip I convened for thirty-six middle schoolers to S&C Electric, on Chicago’s north side. When our amazing partners at the National Girls Collaborative Project and Wesco, reached out, interested…

Press Release – September 24, 2024 Chicago, Illinois – 13,500 students across the state have lost afterschool programs and 1,000 staff roles have been eliminated. Organizations gathered today at Aspira Business and Finance High School for a rally to ask policymakers to take swift action to rectify this issue. You can watch the full rally…

Alishba Shah, Policy and Communications Intern Summer 2024 Finding work and going to school is hard enough as it is; imagine having to do that and so much more while not even understanding or speaking the language everyone else around you uses. That is how many migrants and refugees feel when they first come to…