Whiteside’s Regional Office of Education awarded $200,000 grant

CHICAGO – Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health have announced that Illinois has awarded $3.5 million in funding to 19 applicants across the state to support post-pandemic child and adolescent health.

Regional Office of Education No. 47, located in Whiteside County and serving Whiteside, Ogle and Lee counties, was awarded a $200,000 grant, according to a news release.

The new round of grants follows $9.5 million in grants that were primarily federally funded to 40 organizations across the state. The size of the grants ranges from $92,000 to $200,000.

Of the new round of grants, 41% are awarded to behavioral health treatment centers, 21% to schools, 21% to health care groups, 11% to local health departments and 5% to colleges.

The grants are funded by the state of Illinois and are intended to strengthen post-COVID-19 recovery efforts for school-based health needs, as well as for preventing adverse childhood experiences in the post-pandemic era.

“The last few years have been a difficult time for all of us, and this is especially true for our youth,” Pritzker said. “The state of Illinois is stepping up and providing this vital support that will strengthen school-based programs and local agencies that serve the mental health needs of young people across Illinois.”

“IDPH is dedicated to addressing the mental health needs of children and young people who have been through a very challenging and disruptive time as a result of the pandemic,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said. “We are very pleased to be able to support these thoughtful and innovative strategies to strengthen child and adolescent health.”

The funding opportunity was overseen by the IDPH’s Office of Women’s Health and Family Services. More than 50% of the applicants for the funding opportunity are receiving funding.