Service agencies need answers on budget
By KATE SCHOTT kschott@daily-chronicle.com
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| Gov. Pat Quinn. (AP photo) |
The agency Jill Olson works for probably won't be losing any state money this year.
But Olson, executive director of CASA DeKalb County, is worried nonetheless.
CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocate, serves as a legal entity to represent the interests and rights of abused and neglected children in the judicial system. Many of the children served by CASA receive counseling from the Department of Children and Family Services – and that agency is facing potential cuts in state funding.
"They could literally have counseling one day, and the next day it would stop," Olson said. "So while the cuts won't necessarily affect us personally, it will definitely have an impact on the children that we serve."
Social service agencies that receive state funding were in limbo Wednesday as Illinois began the 2010 fiscal year without a budget in place. The fiscal year runs through June 30, 2010.
Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday vetoed a key portion of a makeshift state budget, calling it a "halfway measure" that would set Illinois up for a wave of lawsuits and fail to fund basic services.
Illinois faces a deficit of roughly $11.6 billion. Quinn said the budget that lawmakers sent him would still leave a hole of about $9.2 billion.
Lawmakers are scheduled to return to the Capitol on July 14 to resume budget discussions. But directors of local agencies say action is needed now, because they need state funding to continue to provide services to what they called Illinois' most vulnerable populations.
"For this state to not have a budget on July 1 is irresponsible," said Micki Chulick, executive director of child care-advocacy agency Coordinated Community Child Care. "If I didn't have a budget when I needed to, I would probably be fired."
John Rey, development director at Family Services Agency of DeKalb County, said various programs were running as usual Wednesday.
"But we are very disappointed that we don't have more concrete information as to what this year is going to bring," he said. "I haven't heard anything, except posturing between politicians."
Lack of information was also a concern for Tom Zucker, executive director of the Voluntary Action Center. Many of the state grants VAC relies on for its transportation and meals programs are waiting to be signed into law, he said, but he doesn't anticipate that happening until a budget is passed.
"We just don't know, and we have no good sources to have a good sense of that," he added.
At 4-C, staff members were told that as of Wednesday they could no longer admit college students to a subsidy program that provides child care funding while parents are furthering their education, Chulick said. And they were told they might get more direction on Monday as to where other cuts will need to be made, she added.
Many agencies are doing what they can to keep serving clients. All funding for travel and professional development is gone at 4-C, Chulick said. Zucker said VAC is talking about holding additional fundraisers as well as looking for ways to cut spending without affecting services.
All expressed frustration with lawmakers.
"I hope they get their act together soon so we can carry forward with the services for those vulnerable populations," Rey said.
"They are playing games with people's lives," Chulick said. "They knew when they were elected they would have tough decisions. We need leaders, not followers. They need to do what is right, not what their party wants them to do.
"It's just a game, and the games have to stop."
• The Associated Press contributed to this report.
