Political Quotes

“on June 10, we lost an extraordinary advocate for children and families in Illinois. For more than four decades, Maria Whelan fought to ensure equal access to quality and affordable childcare. Today, we pay tribute to her hard work and life. Maria was born on December 4, 1950, in East Hampton, NY. She was the third of 12 children. Ten cousins lived just down the road. Maria went to Clarke College and completed her master's at the University of Chicago. She supported herself working as a waitress and a janitor. It was in Chicago that she met Jack Wuest. They married and raised three daughters in Chicago's North Side neighborhood of Rogers Park. In 1976, Maria was working with educators and advocates to help families when the local afterschool program's sponsoring agency closed. Maria and some of these folks formed what would later become the Carole Robertson Center for Learning. She served as the center's first executive director until 1989. Maria helped the center become a thriving center for quality early childhood education. Maria continued her fight for families as the director of children services for the Illinois Department of Human Services and then the senior program officer for the Chicago Community Trust. In 2000, she became the president and CEO for Illinois Action for Children, which provides 150,000 children and families every year access to high-quality early care and education opportunities.…”