Chicago Area Nonprofit Human Service Providers Organize for Unified Voice in Springfield

CHICAGO, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Chicago area nonprofit organizations are meeting as part of a new statewide campaign to raise awareness that Illinois' structure for providing high priority human services have been compromised by the current state budget crisis. The meeting is on February 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Calumet Center, Metropolitan Family Services, 235 E. 103rd St., Chicago, IL.

The campaign, organized by Illinois Partners for Human Service, comes at time when nonprofit organizations -- the primary providers of human services in Illinois --  are being forced to seek loans to keep their doors open because state payments for services run anywhere from six to 18 months late. Moreover, providers are under increasing pressure to provide the same level of service with fewer funds. And the state's budget gap continues to widen.

As many as 2 million residents, or approximately 16 percent of people in Illinois depend on the state funding for basic services such as child care; after-school programs for teens; skills training or help finding jobs; counseling for victims of sexual or domestic abuse; assistance for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled; and in-home care for the elderly.

"Payments are not keeping pace with inflation; the costs of borrowing due to late payments must be paid by the organization; our contracts are adjusted at will without our input. This is seriously impacting the quality of services provided and our entire human service system," said Nancy Ronquillo, chairperson for Illinois Partners for Human Service, and CEO and president for Children + Family Aid, a major social service provider.

Between 2003 and 2010, The Center on Budget and Tax Accountability estimates that human services were under-funded by $4.4 billion after both inflation and growth in demand are taken into account.

Moreover, approximately 400,000 Illinoisans are employed statewide in the human services sector and approximately $8 is returned to communities for every $1 invested in human services. Five billion dollars in cuts could result in a loss of 25,000 jobs.

Illinois Partners for Human Service was established in 2008 and is a growing statewide network of approximately 200 organizations that advocate for high quality, responsible, and sustainable approaches to providing human service in Illinois.

SOURCE Illinois Partners for Human Service