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People with low income are particularly vulnerable to systems that criminalize poverty. Fines and fees like speeding tickets, city sticker fees, and court costs create financial burdens and trap individuals in cycles of hardship.

All families deserve to live in dignity and see their children thrive. A coalition that includes the Shriver Center on Poverty Law won a major victory for Illinois families this legislative session with passage of the state’s first-ever child tax credit.

In 2022, Gov. J.B. Pritzker created a task force to examine racial inequities in the child welfare system and offer solutions. Last month, the task force issued more than 50 recommendations that call for investing in families with low income, not surveilling and separating them.

Stephani Becker, the assistant director of health justice for the Shriver Center, recently spoke about the significance of the exchange and our continued efforts to expand health care to everyone in Illinois.

In this year’s spring legislative agenda, the Shriver Center on Poverty Law advocated for progressive policies across the board that would garner real wins for individuals and families.

Recently, three unhoused individuals filed a complaint against the city, calling its anti-homeless laws unconstitutional. In Johnson v. Grants Pass, the Supreme Court will determine if the city is violating the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishment when it arrests, fines, and even imprisons people without homes for sleeping outside.

The recent release of the report, Funding Our Futures: The Equitable Revenue Policies Illinois Families Need to Thrive, sheds light on the shortcomings of Illinois’ revenue system, calling it out for favoring the wealthy while leaving many struggling to meet basic needs.  

Since Illinois became the first state in the nation to outlaw cash bail, data shows early signs of success in building a more equitable system.

Erin Dowland Kabwe, the Shriver Center's vice president of development, reflects on the 2024 annual gala's key note speaker Chris Singleton. His message of hope unites us in the fight against racism and poverty.

Vice President of Advocacy LaTanya Jackson Wilson writes that community and family justice is the heart of the Shriver Center's work.