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Last updated 11:43 am CT September 02, 2010.
Advocates to Lawmakers: "Don't Drop the Ball"
"We're going to visit all our legislators and let them hear our voices for the families we serve," said Sheila James, a family coordinator with the Williamson County Early Childhood Co-op.
Parents, teachers and community members worried about losing child care assistance, pre-K, and other programs that affect kids visited the offices of Representatives Mike Bost, (R)-Murphysboro, John Bradley, (D)-Marion, and Brandon Phelps (D)-Norris City. They made a special delivery each time they stopped.
"We have our vans [and] our cars loaded up. We have over 10,000 balls now. We're excited," James said.
Those balls represent the children that could be affected by budget cuts and they came with a message. "As our leaders you must not drop the ball when it comes to children and families," one member of the group read from a letter to Bost.
Some of those balls were labeled with the names of children or covered with messages from parents, students and teachers.
Kids from the Boys and Girls Club in Carbondale also added to the pile at Bost's office, and left notes for the governor.
"Dear Pat Quinn, support youth because we need money for the Club," read Jaden Bradley.
"Please support our youth because we need it the most," Nia Allison read from her note.
The brightly colored balls may be associated with fun, but the message is serious. The Early Childhood Block Grant is just one of the programs that are in jeopardy. According to the governor's office 100,000 at-risk kids across the state would be without pre-K if that funding is cut.
The group wrapped the day with a rally in Carterville.
By Dana Jay
djay@wsiltv.com
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