Parenting

Illinois lawmakers passed two bills this week that aim to support mothers in the state. One bill requires employers to give paid time off to employees who pump breastmilk at work. The second allows midwives to help with home births.

YWCA McLean County has added a no-cost before and after-school care opportunity for low-income families with students who attend District 87’s Sheridan Elementary School. Meanwhile, parents and guardians get to take advantage of monthly educational seminars on topics like budgeting and finding employment.

A new report says improving worker pay and benefits would be one of the best ways to improve central Illinois’ early childhood education system.

The Urban Air indoor adventure park company plans to open a new location at the Shoppes at College Hills in Normal.

Fathers in McLean County are often underrepresented or marginalized within organizations and programs that serve children and families, according to the results of a new survey.

Faced with a litany of operational challenges, many rural hospitals in Illinois have shut down their labor and delivery units, leading to maternity care deserts. A 2022 March of Dimes report counts Woodford, Piatt, DeWitt and Iroquois counties as being among those deserts.

Too often, the conversation turns too quickly to whether an aging parent should move into a long-term care facility, said Susan Real, executive director of the Bloomington-based East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging.

For some mothers, the birth of a baby can result in the development of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Nicki Petersen and Catherine Carroll have become advocates for maternal mental health.

Parents and teachers in Bloomington-Normal: We want to know what you think about the school shooting in Texas.