Illinois quick hits: Medicaid coverage for parental home visits; 'Trouble in Toyland' report

Illinois quick hits: Medicaid coverage for parental home visits; ‘Trouble in Toyland’ report

November 24, 2025/
Spread the love

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Medicaid coverage for parental home visits

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services has launched new Medicaid coverage of home visiting services for pregnant and parenting customers.

Covered prenatal home visits include health education, blood pressure monitoring, behavioral health screenings, domestic and intimate partner violence education, stress management and more.

IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said the expanded Medicaid coverage is a critical step in the agency’s mission to improve health outcomes.

‘Trouble in Toyland’ report

The Trouble in Toyland 2025 report is out ahead of the holiday shopping season and it raises concerns around hidden dangers in toys.

The Public Interest Research Group’s Education Fund released the 40th annual report Monday and highlights AI toys with privacy concerns and explicit content, toys with lead from other countries and water beads, something the group says is a longtime threat.

Construction lanes to open

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced Monday that lanes that have been closed for construction will reopen, where possible, for the long Thanksgiving weekend to minimize travel disruption.

Non-emergency closures will be suspended from 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Will County P&Z Logo Planning Zoning

Green Garden Solar Farm Approved in Split Vote; Battery Storage Component Rejected

Will County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting | May 5, 2026 Article Summary: The Will County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval for a new 4.98-megawatt solar facility in Green...
Lincoln Way West Warriors Baseball

Lockport Tops Lincoln-Way West in Tight Conference Battle

The Lincoln-Way West varsity baseball team faced a difficult road test on Friday, falling to Lockport in a competitive 4-2 conference matchup. The game began with a flurry of activity...
Lincoln Way West Warriors Softball

Lincoln-Way East Outlasts Lincoln-Way West in 10-6 Conference Victory

Lincoln-Way East used a balanced and relentless offensive attack to secure a 10-6 victory over Lincoln-Way West in a high-scoring conference matchup on Friday. The game was a back-and-forth battle...
Bill to expel students over sexual assault progresses in Springfield

Bill to expel students over sexual assault progresses in Springfield

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A measure that would place new rules on Illinois schools requiring a full-year expulsion of a student...
Viral goose egg case fuels debate over abortion

Viral goose egg case fuels debate over abortion

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A viral incident involving a suburban Chicago woman accused of taking protected goose eggs is drawing...
Another U.S.-Canada border bust: Gun smuggling operation

Another U.S.-Canada border bust: Gun smuggling operation

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square A gun smuggling operation run by Canadian, Pakistani and Jordanian citizens has been thwarted at the U.S.-Canada border, authorities said. While illegal border crosser crime...
More than 200 children rescued, 350 child sex offenders arrested in one month

More than 200 children rescued, 350 child sex offenders arrested in one month

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square More than 200 children were rescued and more than 350 child sex offenders arrested in one month in the latest Department of Justice targeted enforcement...
Trump budget targets 'valley of death' with new military contractor accountability model

Trump budget targets ‘valley of death’ with new military contractor accountability model

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The Trump administration's $1.5 trillion military budget request would rewrite how the Pentagon buys weapons – forcing contractors to fund their own factory expansions and...
Nonprofit flies troops home for milestones they can't afford to miss

Nonprofit flies troops home for milestones they can’t afford to miss

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square For junior enlisted military members earning about $30,000 a year, the cost of a round-trip ticket home can be the difference between witnessing a family...
Report: 2025 third most violent year on record for American Jews

Report: 2025 third most violent year on record for American Jews

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Last year was the third most violent year on record for American Jews, according to an analysis by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Although antisemitic incidents...
Screenshot 2026-05-05 at 1.46.14 PM

Meeting Summary and Briefs: Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees for April 15, 2026

Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees Meeting | April 15, 2026 The Joliet Junior College (JJC) Board of Trustees held a strictly ceremonial meeting on Wednesday evening after failing to...
Jackson Township Graphic.2 NEW

Meeting Summary and Briefs: Jackson Township Board for March 11, 2026

Jackson Township Board Meeting | March 11, 2026 The Jackson Township Board held a brief, 22-minute regular monthly meeting on Wednesday evening to process municipal expenditures, authorize administrative agendas, and...
International human smuggling ring exploiting Canadian visa system thwarted by US

International human smuggling ring exploiting Canadian visa system thwarted by US

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Another international human smuggling ring exploiting lax Canadian border security and visa processes has been thwarted by U.S. officials. Mexican smuggling at the U.S.-Canada border...
Pro-life org: Informed consent for abortion pill impossible without doctor visit

Pro-life org: Informed consent for abortion pill impossible without doctor visit

By Tate RosentreterThe Center Square The nation’s largest pro-life organization filed an amicus brief Thursday in the U.S. Supreme Court asserting the impossibility of ensuring informed consent without an in-person...
Pro-life org: Informed consent for abortion pill impossible without doctor visit

Pro-life org: Informed consent for abortion pill impossible without doctor visit

By Tate RosentreterThe Center Square The nation’s largest pro-life organization filed an amicus brief Thursday in the U.S. Supreme Court asserting the impossibility of ensuring informed consent without an in-person...