SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Javier Cervantes announced that the Illinois Department of Public Health has awarded more than $175,000 to Cicero School District 99 to support post-pandemic child and adolescent health.

“During and after the pandemic, our youth have had a hard time readjusting to everyday learning and school environments,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “This funding will help communities like ours combat the mental health crisis in our schools and ensure kids across Illinois get the help they need to succeed.”

The grant – funded primarily from the CDC’s COVID-19 Public Health Workforce Supplemental Funding program – is intended to help schools and local agencies improve student care through workforce enhancements, developing frameworks to prevent adverse childhood experiences, interventions to assist children suffering from trauma, and training for medical and school staff to expand adolescent mental health resources.

Projects funded through the program incorporate a diverse set of strategies to strengthen mental health services for students across Illinois. These include developing student support programs and offering specialized curriculums in areas like stress management and nutrition; providing mental health training, education and support for teachers and all school personnel;

Last week I stood with advocates in full support of making sure we have funding for after-school programs in Illinois. As a parent myself, I know exactly how important it is to have safe and reliable programs that students and families can count on at the end of the school day. We have to keep this program funded so our children have a safe haven to grow and succeed in life toward a brighter future. Watch more below.

Join us on Oct. 18 for College and Career Day with representatives from multiple universities in attendance. We will be out at our district office, 1836 W. 35th St., from 5:30-7:30 p.m. This will be a great opportunity for anyone who is thinking about attending college or searching for employment. Please RSVP by calling 872-704-0031 or emailing jcandelas.senjcervantes@gmail.com.  We hope to see you there!

CHICAGO – State Senator Javier Loera Cervantes released the following statement after the recent strike by the United Auto Workers seeking pay increases, shorter workweeks and improvements to retiree plans:

“The United Auto Workers are seeking to improve the value given to their labor. More than a decade ago they sacrificed pay and benefits to help the automakers stay afloat. Now its time for those workers to share in the success they help create.

“As a career advocate for workers’ rights, I will continue to support groups like the United Auto Workers in their fight for fair wages and better working conditions. Working people are standing in solidarity, with inflation and cost-of-living pressures at an all-time high, leveraging this power has never been more urgent.

“I support the United Auto Workers in their fight. Autoworkers in Toledo, OH, Wayne, MI, and the rest of the Midwest, are not just fighting for themselves, but for working class people across this country. I will continue to support our working class families in Illinois to make sure their voices are heard.”