With No State Budget, Illinois Agencies Face High Turnover

By Shannon Heffernan
A young man plays games at one of Little City’s group homes.
A young man plays games at one of Little City's group homes. April Jennings says the low pay made it difficult for her to continue working at Little City and the state budget mess left her with little hope of improvement. Photo courtesy of Little City
A young man plays games at one of Little City’s group homes.
A young man plays games at one of Little City's group homes. April Jennings says the low pay made it difficult for her to continue working at Little City and the state budget mess left her with little hope of improvement. Photo courtesy of Little City

With No State Budget, Illinois Agencies Face High Turnover

By Shannon Heffernan
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There are everyday people whose lives are changing as a result of the state’s budget problems. We’re collecting stories of the people Caught in the Middle.

Illinois organizations that care for people with developmental disabilities say their staff turnover is really high and positions are going unfilled. They say it’s hard to attract and retain a workforce, because the pay is too low. But wages are stuck and not going up, because with no state budget, these organizations can’t ask for more cash.

April Jennings worked with young people at Little City, a home for youth with developmental disabilities. But she recently left to work in St. Louis, where she can earn a much higher wage.

MORE STORIES FROM CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE

We welcome your stories for this series. You can email us at caughtinthemiddle@wbez.org.  Be sure to include your name and contact information.

Shannon Heffernan is a reporter for WBEZ. Follow her @shannon_h