Friends,

You may recall the brush Kaleidoscope and other child serving organizations had with massive funding cuts less than one year ago.

We undertook the unnerving task of laying off one-third of our staff before funding was ultimately restored to the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS). Though we called back our youth workers and services continued, our children got a real taste of what could have happened.

Over a hundred of our children and youth said goodbye to Kaleidoscope, only to have us return a week later and continue our work. This does not make for a trusting relationship, let alone a therapeutic one for children who have already suffered so much pain. But the alternative would have been disastrous for them.

We cannot let this happen again – we need to urge our state representatives to make the needs of our children a top priority.

Right now, state budget negotiations are in full swing. No one really knows when Illinois will have its fiscal 2011 budget in place, but Illinois still has a $13.4 billion deficit and the governor's proposed budget contains massive cuts to education and human services.

Please be an advocate for children before we’re forced to put a reorganization plan in place. Please, contact your local state reps and senators about the budget in the next 24 hours and leave a very succinct message in their Springfield office: 

“As the fiscal 2011 budget is negotiated, I urge you to assure that the DCFS budget that serves to protect abused and neglected children remains funded and DHS services are restored. We must also find solutions to fund the education budget and assure that cuts to special education intended to serve children with special behavioral and mental health challenges are restored. I urge you to advocate for these services within your caucus and whenever you are asked for your opinion on what is most important for the fiscal 2011 budget. Thank you.”

Click here to find your Illinois officials

• The Emergency Budget Act would give the governor power to cut the budget without the general assembly’s approval. All programs would be “subject to appropriations” so that potentially any program, including entitlement programs, could be cut or reduced. He could also hold back funding from state agencies and could adjust service and reimbursement rates as he sees fit.
• The Tax Amnesty program would raise potentially $250M that could go towards the education deficit of $1.3B.
• A $1 per pack cigarette tax increase would plug about $300M of the deficit.
• Liquidating future revenue from the tobacco settlement.
• A $1B funds sweep.
• Additional borrowing of $3.7B in order to cover the state’s pension payment or increases in bonding to cover expenses of last year’s capital budget and for $1B in new capital spending.
• The governor’s proposed “education surcharge.”
• Temporary one-year “business taxes.”
• Lengthening of the lapse spending period.
• Additional federal relief for education funding from Washington.
• A new idea that just emerged late yesterday, in which Illinois would receive $500M cash from ComEd and Exelon in exchange for freezing rates at higher-than-market levels for 4 years and a complete overhaul of the electricity regulatory system. 

Children count on you and indeed each of Kaleidoscope’s supporters to keep legislators accountable to the needs of children, especially those in the state’s care. I will keep you posted on new developments. Always feel free to contact me if you have questions.

Thank you,