The Addison Early Childhood Collaborative celebrated its successes at their third annual community breakfast. Mayor Rich Veenstra, State Representative Kathleen Willis, Regional Superintendent of Schools Dr. Darlene Ruscitti and other elected officials joined over 40 committed Addison based community partners who work collaboratively to meet the needs of Addison families with young children.
Ms. Joanne Su, Policy Director for the Illinois Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development shared the vision for Early Childhood Education in Illinois. In addition, DuPage’s own, the Honorable Judge Robert Anderson was the keynote speaker for this annual event. Judge Anderson presently hears Juvenile Delinquency and Child Protection cases and has experiences in Domestic Relations, Child Custody and is a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Education. Judge Anderson tied his work in the courts with the importance of getting it right in the early years and stated , “The work of Collaborations like Addison’s, changes the future of our children.” Judge Anderson also pointed out that a 1 year tuition at Harvard is approximately $60,000 while a child’s stay at a Juvenile Justice Center costs approximately $86,000 per year. Changing the direction of our youth to a positive outcome is a major goal of the DuPage Regional Office of Education in concert with our school districts.
