Posted inStatewide Investigations

Early Intervention therapies help kids — but Illinois pays providers less than other states, stalling access

Hundreds of therapists are leaving the program each year, causing some families to miss out on services they’re legally entitled to.

by Meredith Newman and Madison Hopkins June 4, 2026June 4, 2026

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Early Intervention therapies help kids — but Illinois pays providers less than other states, stalling access

by Meredith Newman and Madison Hopkins, Illinois Answers Project
June 4, 2026

<h1>Early Intervention therapies help kids — but Illinois pays providers less than other states, stalling access</h1>
<p class="byline">by Meredith Newman and Madison Hopkins, Illinois Answers Project <br />June 4, 2026</p>
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Stephanie Jimenez with her daughter Lia, 4, who previously used Early Intervention services. Jimenez opted for Lia to undergo virtual therapy sessions in order to avoid long wait times. Though it was helpful, Jimenez admitted she has “mixed” feelings about the mode of therapy. Credit: Ash Lane for Illinois Answers Project

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Tagged: children, early intervention, Equity, Illinois, JB Pritzker

Meredith Newman

mnewman@bettergov.org

Meredith Newman is an embedded investigative reporter with the Illinois Answers Project. Before joining the newsroom, she worked at The News Journal in Wilmington, Delaware and The Capital in Annapolis, Maryland. She is a graduate of Syracuse University and is originally from Evanston, Illinois.

More by Meredith Newman

Madison HopkinsSenior Investigative Reporter

Madison Hopkins is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist with the Illinois Answers Project, the nonprofit newsroom arm of the Better Government Association. Her past work includes reporting for The Kansas City Beacon and ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network. Hopkins holds degrees from San Diego State University and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

More by Madison Hopkins