Serving healthy drink options during meals is a small change that can have a big impact on the health of kids both now and in the future. Many children are already consuming 2-3 times the recommended amount of sugar every day. This can negatively impact weight, mood and behavior today, while increasing their risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes later in life – major health issues that disproportionately impact children of color in our communities.

Learn more about Serve Kids Better (.pdf).

IAPO, CLOCC and other child health advocates are supporting the passage of Senate Bill 1846 and House Bill 3490. While many restaurants have proactively moved to introduce more healthy drink options, this “Serve Kids Better” legislation will ensure all restaurants provide unsweetened water, low or non-fat milk or 100% juice in bundled “children’s meals.” Parents would still have the option to choose other types of beverages for their kids.

Urge your Members of Congress to weigh in with the Biden administration to include Healthy School Meals for All, investments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Child Tax Credit in the next COVID-19 recovery bill, which will focus on human infrastructure.

Use this form to directly email and/or tweet at your Members. You may send the pre-populated email or modify it to reflect why these investments are so critical to your community.

Connect with CLOCC's network of nearly 3,000 childhood obesity prevention advocates by listing your organization's upcoming events or current job openings on the Consortium's website. Upon submission, postings will be approved by CLOCC staff; events and careers applicable to the CLOCC network may also be featured in this newsletter. If you have questions or are not able to access the webpage, contact info@clocc.net. CLOCC will not publish for-profit services or events, or products for sale.

The One Summer Chicago Youth Employment Program is underway. Summer youth workers will be placed at worksites based on their interests. Sites include schools, non-profits, clinics, local businesses, park districts and more.

We Will Chicago is a three-year citywide planning initiative led by the City of Chicago that prioritizes equity, resiliency, and engagement to create a new, inclusive vision for the city. At this month’s virtual kickoff conversation, residents can learn about the We Will pre-planning work conducted this winter, as well as next steps in creating the first citywide planning document in more than 50 years. 

Location: Online Event, April 29, 2021

Join the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) on Tuesday, May 11th from Noon – 1:00 PM to get a snapshot of the region’s pedestrian environment and hear from organizations who are actively working to make Chicagoland more accessible for all. In addition to highlighting some of the region’s change-agents, this event will also share new research on how local governments can take concrete steps to improve walkability within their communities.

Location: Online Event, May 11, 2021

On Thursday, April 8th, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, issued a statement to declare racism a serious public health threat on a national scale. "The disparities seen over the past year were not a result of COVID-19," said Walensky. "Instead, the pandemic illuminated inequities that have existed for generations and revealed for all of America a known, but often unaddressed, epidemic impacting public health: racism." She highlighted several new efforts CDC is leading to accelerate its work to address racism as a fundamental driver of racial and ethnic health inequities in the United States. She also unveiled a new website “Racism and Health” that will serve as a hub for the agency’s efforts and a catalyst for greater education and dialogue around these critical issues.

In the U.S., the month of April is recognized as National Minority Health Month, an initiative to advance health equity across racial and ethnic minorities. Within Minority Health Month, the week of April 11-17 annually focuses on Black Maternal Health. The Black Mamas Matter Alliance marks Black Maternal Health Week by "amplifying the voices of Black mamas" and centering the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements. BMMA has produced a toolkit for organizations to join the conversation. Photo: BMMA

The 2019 Public Charge Rule came to an end in early March. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) has published more information on the end of the 2019 rule and Protecting Families IL has organized several resources on how to proceed with communicating the changes as they relate to several key topics:

Additionally, if you would like to contact a social worker, psychologist or child life specialist for information on community referrals or coping resources, you can call (312) 227-4118 and leave a message. Your call will be returned within 24 hours, Monday through Friday.