CONTACT: Sean Noble – snoble@fightcrime.org, cell: 312-502-5566
WHAT: Law enforcement leaders and state lawmakers will gather at a Grayslake-area preschool program to mark the significance of historic state investments in early care and education — investments that will benefit not only the well-being of individual children and families, but communities’ overall safety and security. The FY24 Illinois budget includes about $300 million in new resources for such early childhood priorities statewide, many of them part of Gov. Pritzker’s Smart Start initiative, and extensive research has demonstrated that high-quality early learning investments help put kids on the right path early in life, a path that leads away from trouble.
WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023 — starting promptly at 9 a.m. with a great visual: law enforcement leaders and lawmakers reading to preschoolers for about 20 minutes. Following that segment will be a short discussion among legislators, law enforcement officials, and early childhood educators, as well as a brief tour of the facility.
WHERE: Grayslake Early Childhood Center, 103 E. Belvidere Road, Hainesville, IL
WHO: Several Illinois law enforcement leaders who are members of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids:
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart
Grayslake Police Chief Philip Perlini
Lindenhurst Police Chief Thomas Jones
Gurnee Police Chief Brian Smith
Also joining will be Lake County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Chief Gianni Giamberduca and Round Lake Park Police Commander Ana Dynak. Confirmed attendees further include state Sen. Mary Edly-Allen and Reps. Joyce Mason and Laura Faver Dias. Administrators from the Grayslake Early Childhood Center will speak about the early childhood services they provide to local families, as well as unmet needs they still see.
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is a nonprofit, nonpartisan network of law enforcement leaders – more than 5,000 nationwide, and over 350 in Illinois – whose members strive to help curb crime and violence by speaking up for research-proven investments in children and youth.