By: Diane Benjamin

Definition: Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA). This is an NGO located in Towanda Plaza. If this organization wasn’t shoveling Federal and State money to consultants and illegal aliens, I wouldn’t be spending nearly as much time on them.

The 2024 INCCRRA tax return showed they spent $17,000,000 on consultants. A previous story showed where almost $3,490,000 of that was spent: https://blnnews.com/2026/02/28/buy-local-nowyoming/ Shady?

The story has a link to previous stories.

The list below totals another almost $6,000,000 paid for consulting. There are more misc payments with around another $2,000,000. To date I’ve documented about $11,490,000 of the $17,000,000. The vast majority of payments were made in 2024, a smaller amount was in 2023. Each organization listed received multiple payments – I listed totals. Most of these are easy to identify with a Google Search. How were each chosen to consult? How was the price arrived at? Another FOIA has already been filed.

The way the FOIA request was answered resulted in some names not completely listed. I’m showing those as “name cut off”. Keep in mind everyone on this list is a consultant, these aren’t subsidies to care for any kids.

This project is taking a lot of time. I think $17 million to consultants is worth the time. FOIA requests always take 2 weeks since IDHS has to get the information from the local office before they can give it to me. 2 requests are now pending.

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Robin’s Nest Learning Center with locations in Marion and Carterville: $1,228,889.

Spero Family Services was paid $289,131. Looks like they don’t do child care: https://www.sperofs.org/

Step By Step Child (?) was paid $876,581. The exact name is cut off in the FOIA.

A total of $319,641 was paid to various United Way and YWCA locations in northern Il plus one payment to Yellow Brick Road in Marion for $11,096.

Champaign United Way was paid $90,632.

Two YMCA locations were paid a total of $105,921.

The Little School House in Mattoon was paid $97,666.

“The Collaboration fo” (name cut off) was paid $94,803.

Sunny Days Child Care in Vandalia was paid $100,972.

“Stress and Trauma Tr” (name cut off) was paid $94,478.

“Stepping Stones Chil” (name cut off) was paid $100,800.

Start Early (?) was paid $85,328.

Presbyterian Church (location unknown) was paid $321,627

Prairieland Kids Day (name cut off) was paid $148,138

Perry L and Marilyn (name cut off) were paid $169,211

Peoria Regional Offi (name cut off) was paid $82,911

Mueller Enterprises (I found no connection to child care) was paid $139,387

Mcdonough County Cou (name cut off) was paid $137,744

Malones Early Learning Center, Carterville, was paid $443,779

Stop here a minute!

Carterville is a suburb of Carbondale/Marion. The 2020 population was 5,848. The very first entry on this list was to Robin’s Nest in the same area which received $1,228,889. Add $443,779 for a total of $1,672,668 paid to this tiny area for consulting.

Ivy League Day School, Sandoval, was paid $194,816

Heartland Community College was paid $45,270

SAL Community Services (17 county regional) was paid $232,484

Bright Beginning LE (name cut off) was paid $325,804

Buckeroo Early Learning Center was paid $182,514

Seeing any patterns yet?

Source document received by FOIA, I converted it from a PDF to Excel:

I received more files that are not included in this list. Stay tuned.