Illinois Action for Children

Another city of Chicago place that is unprofessional, not knowledgeable at all in there type of work field. Always an excuse as to why our paperwork and pay are always late. why don’t you just be honest and let us know you can’t do by our job, lazy, all they ever do is eat at their desk and gossip. Do that on your time off. phones calls phhhhhsss please your better off sending a damn letter thru the mail before they ever answer the damn phone! Hate this place to max!

ry limited funds, they must not spend any on customer service classes for anybody. I dread having to call them. On average I’m on hold for about 40 minutes-​no lie! Waited for a total of 4 months for my application to be approved, this usually takes about a month. No communication unless I called. Nothing professional about this office.

Horrible establishment. Have been trying for months to get my case renewed. Appearently they got a new computer system portal that messed up all the apllications. I got my renewal form 3 months late. Everytime I try to call and check in the phone lines are busy. Something needs to be done to improve this establishment.

I really hate having to call this office. They never answer. They should create a portal for parents. To review information when ever they need to instead of having to call them and not being able to get through. It’s just sad. I’ll say get rid of all the old employees and hire people who actually care.

I am a representative for a preschool, and I have tried several times to contact this agency for information regarding the one of our clients. 4 days in a row of calling them and one day the phones were turned off, and the others I received a busy signal each time I called, at all different hours of the day. Every 6 months paperwork is submitted for redetermination, and it takes forever for us to get confirmation. The last time we had to reach out to them it was 2 months before the assistance was due to be renewed. It’s ridiculous. It shouldn’t be that hard to send out paperwork on time. I know it’s a government agency, which comes with it’s own headaches, but I’ve reached my maximum level of frustration on this. Just answer the phone, if I can talk to a human being I know that my question will be an easy answer.

It’s a government agency, what do people expect? Yes, they move extremely slow, but if you get your paperwork in well before it needs to be, you don’t have a problem. You do have to make sure you read everything three times before you send it in, because yes, they will send it back if it’s not filled out right. Call a week after you fax it to make sure they have received it, and call another week after that to find out if everything was approved. Don’t wait for them to contact you. I feel like everyone I deal with on the phone is extremely helpful for the most part. The woman that said they only benefit parents that don’t work is not right, this is only for parents that work and/​or go to school. The state is not going to pay for your kids to go to daycare if you don’t work. Go online to fill out your forms. Search on Google for «Illinois Action for children Application» and it should take you right there. Fax your forms, don’t mail them, don’t bother to go there in person to wait in line, it is a waste of time and you get no special treatment for being there in person. You’re dropping off papers. They are not going to look at them right then and there. Like I said, give yourself enough time to get everything taken care of. If your redetermination is due on November 30, send it in on November 1. This service is extremely helpful to people like me, who work and really need it.

This place is a joke! You can never ever get in touch with them when you need help! Either the phone is busy, or it just keeps on ringing! Every 6 months when you have to send your paper work in, they loose all the papers. I mean do you have morons working there? or nobody actually cares? Since they loose the paper work it takes another 2 months for you to be eligable and in the mean time you are stuck paying the bill!

Unfortunately for those parents who need this service be prepared to wait in long lines, being hung up on the phone if you barely get a real person on and very inconvenient open office hours. (Wed and Fri closed to the public). For my first provider it took 6 MONTHS to get her approved because there is something wrong every time with a form or something is «missing.’ Even when you fill out everything highlighted the staff will tell you it with was an «either/​or» question even though the instructions say EVERYTHING highlighted. The people work slow pace. No one smiles. well maybe one staff here or there but its horrible place. What will it take? Please contact your local officials because Action for Children need to be revamped completely. Good luck to everyone who will use this service or is already using thing. Disappointed and ashamed this is the place that is suppose to help working parents.

I have been dealing with action for children for years and for years it stresses me out knowing that i have to make dreaded phone calls that leave me on hold for at least 45 minutes.
I am single parent which I know is no ones problem but mine, but i work full time and i recieve no link card, or medical benefits through the state even though I pay my taxes for everyone else to enjoy these benefits.
All i ask is for some customer service that doesn’t involve being hung up on or treated with disrespect.
We do not all have the luxury to pay out of pocket, we either get the help we need or end up with no job and on on welfare.
You would think that they would like to help more and do their job.
I’m not asking for handouts but Geez people get a fricken clue and do some work. We are single parents trying to get ahead in life.

This could be such a wonderful service to provide families who need assistance with help so they can work. UNFORTUNATELY they don’t care at all about people in the «gray area». The only people/​families that matter and should be taken care of are the ones with parents who don’t work at all. For families like mine who have a single parent that works like crazy AND goes to school and does everything they can to ensure a good and healthy childhood for their children doesn’t get help. I find it very upsetting that I work full time and go to school and but don’t make enough money to get by and they give me the hardest time to get assistance to keep my son in school… the state assistance in illinois is A JOKE. I’m tired of my tax money benefiting people who make no effort to help themselves and then people like me get screwed over. I dont use any other state assistance… never got link, WIC or public aid. I pay my own insurance, I pay my own bills, and I buy my own groceries, All I ask for is help ensuring that my son can stay in school and I can work and they make it very hard. SUCH A DISAPPOINTMENT! I dont want MY TAX DOLLARS BENEFITING DEAD BEATS/​LAZY PARENTS/​DRUGGIES when I am in need of assistance and the state of illinois could care less.

I was very disappointed with the $ 30 I spent here for day care center referrals. We are expecting our first child and are looking to check out centers in two different neighborhoods (work and home). I had done some research online (on Unilocal,Angies List, etc) but a friend recommended this service so I tried it.
They give you a list of providers by zip code along with address, phone & how many kids the center takes – mostly a repeat of everything I’d already found on my own except they missed a few just out of my zip code. They will give you up to 20 «referrals» at a time. Again, this is just a listing – there are no references or recommendations.
Anyway, it was $ 30 wasted in my case. It may be more helpful for people looking for nannies or in-​home centers since those providers may not be as easily found online. Additionally, the first woman I spoke to was less than friendly although the second woman I spoke with was very friendly.

Action for Children (formerly known as Day Care Action Council) is a great service! You can call in and get all sorts of help with your children. You can get a listing of Head Start centers, day care centers, and home care providers in your area or near your work. You can apply for state subsidized day care. You can get an application for Kid Kare. If you’re a provider, you can get on a directory of Chicago area providers. Check out their website or give them a call!