Collins works to protect patients in nursing homes
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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Lakesia Collins is leading a measure to combat retaliatory efforts from nursing homes on patients.
“Patients in nursing homes should not have to worry about retaliation for wanting better living conditions for themselves,” said Collins (D-Chicago). “We are making an effort to expand the definition of retaliation to fit actions that are interfering with residents’ quality of life and are in response to protected activities.”
Senate Bill 3559 would expand the definition of “retaliatory action” to include retaliation against residents of nursing homes in the form of reduced access to services, neglect, selective restrictions and other adverse actions that interfere with the quality of life and are related to their involvement in a protected activity.
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Collins works to further family reunification efforts for youth in care
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SPRINGFIELD – To stop the disproportionate impact of financial responsibilities on families in the foster care system, State Senator Lakesia Collins advanced a measure that would include family circumstances as part of the determination process when evaluating parents’ ability to pay for the cost of foster care.
“Right now, parents can be held responsible for more than they can afford to pay, causing reunification efforts to be significantly delayed,” said Collins (D-Chicago). “If we want to focus our efforts on reunifying families, then we cannot overload the financial responsibility for care on parents who cannot afford it despite giving their best efforts.”
Senate Bill 3367 would make parents of children living in foster care responsible only for the cost of the foster care if the Department of Children and Family Services has conducted a thorough, individualized review of the family’s circumstances and found that payment would not be contrary to the best interests of the child and would not harm reunification efforts.
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Collins secures funding for accessible transportation in Chicago
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CHICAGO – A community-based nonprofit organization, Search Inc., was awarded $144,000 to offer safe, reliable and accessible transportation options, thanks to strong support from State Senator Lakesia Collins.
“Creating more options for disabled folks in the community allows them to have more flexibility for when and where they choose to use transit,” said Collins (D-Chicago). “With these investments, we are developing our public transportation network to give residents more options when they need to travel for health care or work, and I am proud to support this investment.”
Through the Consolidated Vehicle Procurement Program, administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation, more than 500 paratransit vehicles valued at $57.1 million have been awarded to 113 transit providers. The vehicles will be delivered to public transportation providers as well as nonprofit organizations serving seniors and individuals with disabilities.
The program helps smaller transit agencies navigate the red tape of the public bidding process while ensuring their vehicles meet federal requirements and specifications. Search is set to receive two vehicles through the program, totaling $144,000, for better accessible transportation. Search serves more than 350 individuals and their families annually, from Lincoln Square in Chicago to Evanston, Skokie, Morton Grove and Mount Prospect.
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Collins advocates for disinvested communities and social services funding after governor’s budget address
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SPRINGFIELD – In response to Governor JB Pritzker’s budget address Wednesday, State Senator Lakesia Collins (D-Chicago) released the following statement:
“Today we heard about continued funding toward necessary programs and opportunities that so many residents rely on, but there is much left to be done for residents that are still waiting for assistance.
“It is vital for our communities to see Illinois invest in reducing maternal mortality rates across the state. The new investment in the Illinois Department of Public Health to create a plan is an important step toward addressing this issue facing so many Black women in our communities. I look forward to the progress we can make together to fight this epidemic so that the women in our communities across Illinois are protected from these inequities in care.
“I remain committed to advocating for and supporting programs that help low-income families across Illinois, including the proposed expansion of Smart Start Illinois to prepare children to be lifelong learners and bring more teachers into the field. I am also excited to see an investment into the low-income diaper program as I have pushed for this initiative for a long time, as well as the investments into Home Illinois for those facing housing insecurity.
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