[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6065384,"mediaKeyId","3200404-9df7557a552c632ed1dec942f44d939a","parentId",3200404,"title","Rockford Health & Human Services reports wide use of Head Start, LIHEAP and homelessness programs; officials warn of federal funding risk","audioSeconds",1651,"startMs",3704115,"endMs",5355405,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3200404-9df7557a552c632ed1dec942f44d939a&start=3704&end=5355","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3200404-9df7557a552c632ed1dec942f44d939a/thumbnail_3704115.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6065384/Rockford/Winnebago-County/Illinois/Rockford-Health-Human-Services-reports-wide-use-of-Head-Start-LIHEAP-and-homelessness-programs-officials-warn-of-federal-funding-risk","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6065384-bcd6763fafba58cbd57805e4e053d9f2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161672&Signature=DVrR5gkDz5fdAk2kTD3uT~kC02ZPD466dmUn7seJNH29INU9Y2A~UQRe1wzr6f0inau6kaEbfHyGh0usGigFkvMhPBFU57dPtKicqumiLgI0YxJLjrQZH9ZIM4E1EQewq6TcEm-hMvp~mfPEJ~MXHftt8HoMYVUaF8TfKO3nJ3svycJbty76gowbbnhdAzTU0cS0tzIQfpuBMKNyZXoyIg5cui2-5eaPEzE2VNPeMHMMPg-z8rXv7JLcMzNBD-Jj8j4xqnU6~28b~-xJZoOCmEWFJlWQW2jyL4XUuz0PaY4wY7aiNfvA133Gp5wR-2l~J6j6UK3cxin9k9WRdXSnTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Rockford, IL","date","2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","article","Aquanette Parham, director of the City of Rockford Health & Human Services Department, delivered a 2024 year‑end review at the March 31 strategic planning session, describing the department’s role as the community action agency for Winnebago and Boone counties and summarizing Head Start, energy assistance, homelessness prevention and other community services.

The presentation matters because the department runs high‑demand, federally funded programs (Head Start, LIHEAP, CSBG and others) that serve thousands locally; Parham warned that a possible federal funding freeze or cuts could significantly reduce services for low‑income households and seniors.

Parham told the council that the city is the grantee for Head Start and early Head Start and that funded Head Start enrollment for 2025 is 714 children; the department runs center‑based options and partnerships with Rockford Public Schools (Summerdale Early Childhood Center), Hand in Hand Child Care and the YMCA. She said the program employs 42 staff and currently has about 13 vacancies and that a change‑in‑scope application to the Office of Head Start was due April 16.

On energy and utility assistance, Parham said the department served more than 13,000 households through LIHEAP in program year 2024, many headed by seniors or people with disabilities, and highlighted the percentage‑of‑income payment (PIP) program as an option that aims to cap utility payments near 6% of income; Parham cautioned that monthly assistance caps (about $50 for NICOR, $150 for ComEd) limit the program’s reach and that new state low‑income discount rules are changing how PIP operates. She said the department completed about 31 weatherization jobs in the last program year and has an ongoing partnership with the Rockford Housing Authority to expand weatherization in scattered‑site homes.

Parham described homeless prevention and housing‑stability work: using Illinois Department of Human Services homeless‑prevention funds the department assisted 344 households with placement or eviction prevention; 83 households were helped to fully use Section 8 vouchers and 93% of assisted households maintained housing after help. She said city‑run internal homeless programs served 76 households (322 individuals) and that HUD’s single‑point‑of‑entry process resulted in housing for 247 households; about 476 households were moved to an inactive list for reasons including relocation or institutionalization.

The department also highlighted a new program called IMPACT (Integrated Partners Action Crisis Team), funded by the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board and started in June 2024. Parham said IMPACT provides one‑on‑one mental‑health navigators for people who are seriously mentally ill, addicted and unhoused; staff secured five transitional housing units so far out of a goal of eight, and had 53 adults enrolled in the program.

Parham said CSBG funds supported skills training for 31 households and college scholarships for seven households totaling $16,500; the department’s community garden network served 12 gardens, producing 4,654 pounds of produce using 2,001 volunteer hours. She also noted high marks from state and federal monitors: “we received positive feedback with no programmatic findings across our programs,” she told the council.

Mayor and council members asked how the department tracks clients after housing placement and how long staff follow up; Parham said follow‑up varies by program and funding source — some HUD programs may provide assistance and follow‑up for up to two years, while other programs have shorter timelines. She and the mayor also discussed contingency planning and state and national lobbying; Parham said the department participates in state and national community‑action networks and is coordinating messaging and advocacy efforts to defend funding.

Councilors and the mayor called attention to the high local reliance on federal programs and asked staff to work with local partners and legislators to protect the funding stream. The meeting concluded with a voice vote to adjourn recorded as in favor.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Strategic Planning Session 3/31/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Director Aquanette Parham presented a year‑end review showing Head Start enrollment, large LIHEAP demand, homelessness prevention work and a new mental‑health‑focused outreach program (IMPACT); staff warned a potential federal freeze or cuts to key programs could harm hundreds to thousands of households.","taxTitle","Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois","taxId",2847,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6065390,"Rockford expects roughly $97 million in construction this year, city details major street, park and water projects",1067,1269165,2336900,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3200404-9df7557a552c632ed1dec942f44d939a&start=1269&end=2336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3200404-9df7557a552c632ed1dec942f44d939a/thumbnail_1269165.jpg","/articles/6065390/Rockford/Winnebago-County/Illinois/Rockford-expects-roughly-97-million-in-construction-this-year-city-details-major-street-park-and-water-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6065390-5389e5c6ebed1fdff664a3c4e57d3f64/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161672&Signature=fg2SkssUZ0o0p34FA0Or0UVZf2J83Fzvl0~2nI~olOPZipXNLy~ubuKqt3vFn4C9w1I7q~DUdn9qXNbNAlnLqKUDP-eN759rlo8miKhzwLy12~0BQ554HrjlvjvMpnzZzSXPgMeApoyDUGF9bBqlICm6n9NnfFi2lbZk8Mk3QQb-r5fWGZJJvSmmjZCT8keBAEDt7kUbm4CYrmpF~okQCeL~LSHd7EHp3bXVrCdsAt59k4yvIs-BTi29L91FXlVlXUoIRnipCxlSZwrOlg1jDG06cG-tchkBuFB540Epoh6jQfQBo76ULCQfKIOzW73io4ikonQelZf~iiSNZVS9Lg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Director Hankins briefed the Rockford City Council at its March 31 strategic planning session on what he called “a historic year in the amount of construction that we're gonna be doing in the city of Rockford in 02/2025.” The presentation outlined planned roadway reconstructions, water‑main work, park improvements and neighborhood pavement preservation affecting hundreds of locations across the city.

The update matters because the city expects to put into construction nearly $97,000,000 of physical improvements by July, touching 492 locations and including over 400 lead service‑line replacements, but will also require detours, lane closures and a broad public‑information effort during the construction season.

Hankins said the $97 million figure reflects construction implementation (not engineering or study work) and almost doubles the amount the city typically spends on physical improvements by this stage of the year. Major projects listed include Whitman Street phase 2 (Rockton Avenue to Church Street), Madison Street (East State to Prairie), Eleventh Street phase 1 (Harrison to Broadway) and four arterial resurfacings including Mulford Road. He described Eleventh Street as a complete‑street reconstruction with raised crosswalks on side streets and landscaped terraces; construction for phase 1 is scheduled to start in early April and finish by late October.

Hankins said the project list includes an estimated $18,000,000 of water‑main work tied to roadway projects (Auburn, Eleventh, Madison) and called out more than 400 lead service‑line replacements. He told councilors that some awards remain outstanding but that the city still intends to award the remaining contracts by June so construction can proceed this season.

The presentation also outlined several sidewalk, bike‑path and park projects. Davis Park is weeks from going out to bid, with council award sought in May and anticipated ground breaking in June; the current phase will stand on its own but could accept future “plug and play” amenities if additional funding is found. The Chestnut/Walnut/First Avenue complete‑streets package was described as a $20 million‑plus project expected to go through an Illinois Department of Transportation letting in June, with construction likely to stretch into the following year. The city will also add multi‑use bike paths, including on Harrison Avenue east of Alpine Road and a rehabilitated path on Route Road from Bell School to Perryville.

Hankins repeatedly stressed public outreach: he said the city will go door to door for neighborhood preservation programs, hold public information meetings (Madison stakeholder meeting set for April 10 at 10 a.m.; Eleventh Street meeting April 9 at 1 p.m.), post to social media and coordinate press briefings. “We are actually we're going door to door, knocking on doors to make sure the people immediately affected are aware,” he said. He also requested aldermen help share simplified materials with residents and promised renderings at the public meetings.

Council members pressed staff on scheduling and coordination with state work. Hankins noted coordination with the Illinois Department of Transportation and the state I‑39 rebuild (including the Harrison Avenue diverging‑diamond interchange) and said timing decisions are made to avoid putting detour traffic onto roadways scheduled for concurrent construction. On Madison Street, Hankins said the city is negotiating with Union Pacific and that a unique 1862 ordinance that governs the railroad’s presence in that corridor gives the city leverage to press for track and pad improvements.

Other specifics reported by staff: the city expects to nearly double neighborhood program allocations and to perform microsurfacing and pavement preservation at more than 100 locations; the pavement preservation program letting will be returned to council for award in the coming weeks and work is scheduled to begin in May; Eleventh Street will be closed two blocks at a time to minimize business impacts; Auburn Street water‑main work may begin this summer while roadway work would follow the next year; Edgebrook neighborhood will receive a final phase of water‑main improvements; and the city is designing a new well facility (Well 45) and a northeast zone water tower.

The council and staff agreed to continue public meetings and to publish clear, simplified outreach materials for residents and businesses on detours, parking restrictions and phasing. The interactive CIP map and project details are available on the City of Rockford website, staff said.

A voice vote to adjourn at the end of the meeting was recorded as in favor; the formal adjournment is recorded in the meeting actions.","Public works director lays out large 2025 capital improvement program: $97 million in construction, 492 locations touched, major street reconstructions, water‑main work and Davis Park redevelopment; councilors asked about timing, outreach and coordination with state projects.","actionData","errors"]

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Rockford Health & Human Services reports wide use of Head Start, LIHEAP and homelessness programs; officials warn of federal funding risk

Rockford expects roughly $97 million in construction this year, city details major street, park and water projects