SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) will lead a hearing Tuesday to further dive into a recent audit that found the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services was not respecting the needs of LGBTQ youth in care.

“LGBTQ youth in care are disproportionately likely to become homeless and deal with mental health struggles,” Morrison said. “We must ensure all children are placed in understanding environments that accept them and support their authentic selves.”

The hearing comes after a recent investigation by the auditor general that looked into how many LGBTQ children were under the care of DCFS and the number of providers deemed “clinically appropriate” for the kids. The audit found the agency "does not collect sufficient information regarding whether those in care are LGBTQ."

While the agency later announced it’s enhancing its LGBTQ training and resources, Senator Morrison – who previously passed a resolution calling for the audit – is urging DCFS to implement an overall change in training and policies.

WHO: Health Committee Chair Julie Morrison, Health Committee members, DCFS representatives

WHAT: Senate Health Committee Subject Matter Hearing on DCFS LGBTQ Audit Findings

WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 26 at 2:30 p.m.

WHERE: Virtual Room 2 at ilga.gov/senateaudvid.asp

HIGHWOOD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) will host a holiday donation drive to keep children in foster care warm and comforted this winter.

“In the spirit of giving this holiday season, I’m pleased to partner with so many community organizations to collect new pajamas for children in need,” Morrison said. “Warm pajamas are a basic human need, yet far too many children are left without each winter.”

In Illinois alone, more than 21,000 youth are in foster care and many are removed from their homes with only the clothes they were wearing at the time.

To help children in foster care, Morrison is hosting a holiday donation drive from Oct. 15 through Nov. 15.

She is collecting new pajamas, socks, hats and mittens of all sizes, from infant to adult. The donations will be distributed to foster children in the area.

Partnering locations include:

• Deerfield Public Library:920 Waukegan Rd., Deerfield
• Des Plaines Public Library:1501 Ellinwood St., Des Plaines
• Highland/Highwood Rotary Club:First Bank of Highland Park, 1835 First St., Highland Park & Highland Park Bank & Trust, 1949 St. Johns Ave., Highland Park
• Highwood Public Library: 102 Highwood Ave., Highwood
• Interact Club at Highland Park High School:433 Vine Ave., Highland Park
• Glenview Community Church, Chapter 9: 1000 Elm St., Glenview
• Lake Forest Library:360 E. Deerpath Rd., Lake Forest
• Mount Prospect Library:10 S. Emerson St., Mt. Prospect
• Northbrook Public Library:1201 Cedar Ln., Northbrook
• Resigning Women:4515 North Seminole Dr., Glenview
• Rotaract Club of National Louis University: 1000 Capitol Dr., Wheeling
• Senator Morrison’s district office:43 Highwood Ave., Highwood

HIGHWOOD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) is encouraging local businesses struggling from pandemic losses to apply for the latest round of the Back to Business grant program before the Oct. 13 deadline.

Overall, the B2B program will provide $250 million in American Rescue Plan dollars for small businesses negatively affected by the pandemic. Grants will range from $5,000 to $150,000 per business and can be used to cover a wide range of operations, such as staff and overhead costs.

“Small business owners in Lake and Cook County and throughout the state experienced unforeseen financial difficulties that will be challenging to bounce back from without help,” Morrison said. “While reopening has been beneficial to many businesses, they are still constantly facing financial obligations to keep their stores clean and employees protected.”

Priority is given to businesses in hard-hit industries, in hard-hit areas, and with revenues less than $5 million, as well as businesses that have not yet received any government assistance.

More than a dozen businesses in the district Morrison represents have already received $860,000 in grants. They include restaurants, theatres and salons demonstrating the diversity of the local small business community and how many different kinds of businesses are eligible for grants.

“Small businesses are a part of our communities. They invest in our economy, employ our friends and neighbors and support local events,” Morrison said. “Helping them keep their doors open is a top priority.”

Learn more about the B2B grant program and start an application on the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity website .The deadline to submit an application is Oct. 13.

HIGHWOOD – Following years of discriminatory practices against people with disabilities in the work place, State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) is happy their dignity will be restored with the signing of an executive order to eliminate subminimum wage.

“Having a job means having dignity, independence and purpose, regardless of whether a person has a disability,” Morrison said. “The state should be a leader in showing that people with disabilities are just as capable in the workplace and have a valued role in contributing to our state and our economy – and the executive order does just that.”

The executive order signed by Governor JB Pritzker on Monday ensures people with disabilities receive equal pay for work they perform as employees of state vendors by preventing them from being paid subminimum wage – a move Morrison has long fought for.

During the previous legislative session, Morrison successfully passed three laws to provide people with disabilities greater employment opportunities with the state. She helped create a training program to prepare people with disabilities for full-time employment with state agencies and implemented an annual seminar for hiring personnel to better seek out employees with disabilities.

Further, Morrison passed a law for the state to better facilitate the hiring of individuals with disabilities by requiring Central Management Services to send the Successful Disability Opportunities List to state agencies when they are hiring.

“The monumental move is a win for both our state and for people with disabilities. Workers with disabilities are dependable, productive and add value to the workplace – and now they will be fairly treated as such,” Morrison said. “I am proud of the executive order signed by Governor Pritzker, but our work to guarantee equal protection and pay is just getting started.”