Author: Elizabeth Hartnett

April 12th to 18th is Youth Voice Week, and we’re celebrating with a statewide Week of Action. This week is a powerful opportunity to uplift youth voices and advocate for Out-of-School Time (OST) programs. Our goal is bold: engage 1,000 students across Illinois in advocacy in just one week. “Dear Members of the Illinois General…

Below, learn more about the nominees for ACT Now’s Out-of-School Time (OST) Advocate Award, which recognizes individuals who go above and beyond to champion the importance and impact of out-of-school time programs. Whether through leadership, innovation, or unwavering support, these advocates play a vital role in advocating for OST programs, which enrich the lives of…

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced the release of the FY 2026 After School Programs – Non-School Districts Notice of Funding Opportunity/Request for Proposal (NOFO/RFP) in the IWAS system on August 27th, 2025. This year’s Non-LEA After School Programs grant program is funded at $18 million, a $10 million increase from last year.  …

Susan Stanton, Executive Director of ACT Now, issued the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s decision to release current FY25 funding for afterschool and summer learning that it had previously chosen to withhold: “After seventeen days of immense bipartisan advocacy, the administration had no other choice but to release the funding for the…

Dear 21st CCLC Advocates, ACT Now has increasing concerns about FY25 federal 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) funding. The bipartisan FY2025 full-year continuing resolution was signed into law by President Trump in March. Annually, State Education Agencies (SEA’s) normally receive allocations for 21st CCLC in April and then receive the actual funding on July 1st. The…

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…

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…

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…