SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Partners for Human Service (IL Partners), a statewide coalition representing more than 850 community-based organizations and leader of the Living Wages, Thriving Communities Campaign, will join leading legislators in the Capitol Blue Room next week to advance key legislation aimed at stabilizing and strengthening Illinois’ human services workforce.
Following the Governor’s FY27 Budget Address, coalition leaders are raising concerns that flat and insufficient funding for core human services amounts to a cut amid rising costs and continued inflation. Advocates will highlight two bills designed to recruit, retain, and fairly compensate the workforce that delivers essential services across Illinois.
WHEN: Tuesday, February 25, 2026, 10:00 AM
WHERE: Capitol Blue Room, 401 S. 2nd St., Springfield, IL 62701
WHO:
State Representative Lindsey LaPointe (D-19), Chair, House Mental Health & Addiction Committee; Chief House Sponsor, Human Service Professional Loan Repayment Program (HB4362 / SB2901)
State Representative Yolonda Morris (D-9), Chief House Sponsor, Human Service Workforce Sustainability Act (HB4450 / SB2883)
State Senator Graciela Guzmán (D-20), Chief Senate Sponsor, Human Service Workforce Sustainability Act (HB4450 / SB2883)
Adela Carlin, Senior Director of Advocacy, Illinois Partners for Human Service
Cosette Ayele, Director of Advocacy and Workforce Initiatives, Illinois Partners for Human Service
Sherrie Crabb, CEO/Executive Director, Arrowleaf
Cristina Alexander, MA, LMFT, RDT, Family Focus
WHY THIS MATTERS:
Illinois’ human service workforce supports survivors of violence, families seeking housing stability, individuals with disabilities, children, and older adults. Yet chronic underinvestment has left many frontline workers earning wages that do not meet the cost of living.
A recent Illinois Partners study found:
- 82% of frontline human service workers do not earn a living wage
- 92% of single-income workers with children fall below a living wage
Advocates warn that flat funding in a period of rising costs strains providers, limits service capacity, and deepens workforce shortages. “After 26 years as a CNA and union organizer, and now as the sponsor of this bill, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges our human service workers face every day,” says Representative Yolonda Morris. “Far too many are earning wages that don’t reflect the essential work they do. This is a crisis we can’t ignore. By addressing longstanding funding gaps, we can strengthen our human service organizations and ensure these dedicated professionals can continue serving the people who need them most.”
The legislation highlighted at the event includes:
Human Service Professional Loan Repayment Program (HB4362 / SB2901): Expands a proven tool to recruit and retain qualified professionals by addressing student loan debt burdens.
Human Service Workforce Sustainability Act (HB4450 / SB2883): Modernizes state funding practices to account for inflation and stabilize the human services workforce.
About Illinois Partners for Human Service
Illinois Partners for Human Service is a coalition of more than 850 organizations statewide engaged in policy, advocacy, and research to strengthen community-based human services.
About the Living Wages, Thriving Communities Campaign
The Living Wages, Thriving Communities Campaign unites more than 150 organizations, providers, frontline workers, and policy leaders representing the 350,000-plus human service workers across Illinois. Building on prior bipartisan resolutions, the campaign seeks fair, sustainable funding that allows essential workers to thrive in the communities they serve. Learn more at LivingWageIL.org.
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