Health Care and Public Health

• Followed the advice of doctors and scientists to protect the lives of Illinoisans during the deadly global pandemic
• Introduced life-saving efforts to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and became the first state in the Midwest to provide free testing for all Illinois residents
• Made it easier for retired nurses and doctors to come back to work in Illinois to fight COVID
• Mandated insurance coverage for telemedicine to help meet demand for health care caused by the pandemic
• Deployed the National Guard and built vaccination sites in every corner of Illinois
• Acquired millions of masks, gloves, ventilators, and protective equipment from around the globe to protect Illinois families, health care workers, and first responders

Helping Small Businesses

• Created the nation’s largest state program giving grants to over 12,000 small businesses to help them keep their doors open during the COVID pandemic
• Prioritized hard-hit industries in the awarding of state funding
• Opened seven new Small Business Development Centers to assist businesses applying for federal relief and to help them plan to meet new pandemic consumer demands
• Launched the COVID-19 Summer Youth Employment Program, which helped low-income and disadvantaged youth develop essential employability skills and earn entry-level employment experience

Helping Vulnerable Communities

• Increased capacity and streamlined access to emergency shelters for individuals and families impacted by domestic and sexual violence during the pandemic
• Expanded transportation, grocery shopping, and meal delivery to tens of thousands of seniors during the pandemic
• Provided resources and assistance to local organizations that serve our most vulnerable citizens
• Provided unprecedented support for vulnerable immigrant and refugee families, including rental and utility assistance, employment and job training services, and health care

Making Child Care Available

• Launched a nation-leading child care grant program to support over 5,000 childcare providers
• Reduced child care co-pay for pandemic essential workers to $1 per month

Expanding Food Security

• Provided approximately 1 million Illinois children with food relief through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program
• Assisted school districts in providing free lunch to students
• Expanded meal delivery programs for seniors and worked with grocers to assist those most vulnerable to COVID-19

Providing Housing Support

• Protected families suffering pandemic financial hardship from losing their homes with the nation’s most efficient housing assistance program, providing help to over 150,000 landlords and homeowners
• Prevented utility shutoffs for 115,000 homes and facilitated utility bill reductions of over $115 million for Illinoisans needing the most help