Law enforcement leaders in Illinois are wanting to use settlement money from opioid manufacturers to invest in early childhood programs to prevent future drug abuse and addiction.
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Illinois is an advocacy group composed of law enforcement leaders that promote solutions that reduce crime.
They want to invest in birth-to-3 programs throughout the state with a new source of funding.
The state has reached settlements with several distributors and manufacturers of opioids that will bring hundreds of millions of dollars to Illinois of the next 18 years.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin says part of the settlement agreement states part of the funds should be used for opioid prevention and remediation.
“It is vital that we assist the youngest victims of the opioid crisis and safeguard the future of all Illinois communities. In fact, in the state's opioid settlement agreement, one of the approved uses of settlement funds is addressing the needs of pregnant or parenting women and their families.”
The group also wants to invest in voluntary home visiting programs to work with new and expecting parents.
