Tuesday, May 6, 2025
5/6/2025
Pledge for Life Partnership Drug-Free Communities Grant - The Pledge for Life Partnership, the identified Drug-Free Communities Coalition serving Kankakee County, has a service area consisting of all of Kankakee County. Kankakee County is a blend of rural and urban settings and covers 677 square miles. The city of Kankakee, located 55 miles south of Chicago along the Interstate 57 corridor and along the Kankakee River, is the governmental hub of Kankakee County. According to the 2018 U.S. Census population estimates, 110,024 people reside in Kankakee County, with approximately 26,216 living in the city of Kankakee. In addition to the city of Kankakee, the county is comprised of 18 villages with 11 police departments, the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department and the Kankakee Area Metropolitan Enforcement Agency. Kankakee County has 12 public school districts, six non-public schools and one regional alternative attendance center. More than half of public school students, 57%, qualify as low income and are eligible for free and reduced lunch. Employment, school boundaries, shopping patterns and local media reach results in much interaction between the residents of the communities and unincorporated areas of Kankakee County. Although the entire Kankakee region has much in common, there are significant differences in the racial and ethnic make-up of the communities in the county. In Kankakee County, 81% of the population is white, 15% is African American and 10% is Hispanic. In the city of Kankakee, 39% of the population is African American and 19% is Hispanic. The small rural communities of Hopkins Park and Sun River Terrace are nearly 90% African American. Twenty-three percent of Kankakee County’s population is under the age of 18 and 17% are age 65 and older. The median household income is $57,981 in the county and $36,858 in the city, both lower than the state average, $62,992. The percent of the population below the poverty line is 16% in Kankakee County and 32% in the city of Kankakee. The county has an unemployment rate of 8.8% versus the state rate of 4.5%. Several local factors have a significant impact on youth substance use. As evidenced by local Illinois Youth Survey data, the majority of students see little perceived risk associated with underage drinking and fewer than half of the high school students report that their parents have talked to them about not using alcohol. And 35% to 39% of youth reported obtaining alcohol from their parents with parental permission. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, 20% of county residents age 18-64 are at risk of alcohol-related illnesses. Living in the southern edge of the Chicago metro area, there is easy access to the city and the supply of illegal substances. The state of Illinois approved adult use recreational marijuana January 1, 2020 giving youth mixed messages about the risks associated with marijuana use. Substance use before the brain has finished developing in one’s mid-twenties places youth at greater risk for mental health disorders. Nearly 40% of young adults with mental health disorders have a co-occurring substance use disorder, according to the Child Mind Institute. These conditions contribute to an environment that requires extensive collaboration among community sectors to combat youth substance abuse. The Drug-Free Communities Grant funding for years 6-10 will be used to continue the Partnership’s efforts in preventing and reducing underage alcohol use as well as marijuana and opioid drug misuse in Kankakee County.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).