The pandemic and its ensuing economic upheaval have been wrenching for families of young children — especially those who were already living paycheck to paycheck. But the crisis of the past two years has also opened up multiple avenues for innovation in tackling childhood poverty — including in Chicago.
On November 3, WTTW and LIFT-Chicago held a conversation about the work being done in our state to lift children and families out of poverty — part of the FIRSTHAND: Living in Poverty event series. The discussion focused on Melissa Fonseca, a mother from Humboldt Park who juggles childcare, a full-time job at Walgreens, and her efforts to return to school to pursue her education. Melissa was joined by a panel of fellow LIFT-Chicago parents and experts working on early childhood education and poverty alleviation in Illinois, who discussed creative and important new projects aiming to support families as we transition out of the pandemic.
Watch the full discussion now: