‘We are all trying to better ourselves to do something with our lives’

Deja Tillman is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her son, Jerry.
Deja Tillman is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her son, Jerry. WBEZ/Susie An
Deja Tillman is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her son, Jerry.
Deja Tillman is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her son, Jerry. WBEZ/Susie An

‘We are all trying to better ourselves to do something with our lives’

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There are everyday people whose lives are changing as a result of the state’s budget problems. We’re collecting stories of some of the people Caught in the Middle.

 Recently the state of Illinois changed the rules for its child care program. Ninety percent of people who use to qualify for help paying for childcare no longer do.

Deja Tillman lives in Calumet City. She has a 2-year-old son, Jerry. Tillman is a single mother who’s cut back on work hours so she could get help paying for her son’s daycare. She’s waiting for the Department of Human Services to process her application. Tillman  hopes if the state passes a budget soon— the rules will be changed back to how they were. 

We welcome your stories for this series. You can email us at caughtinthemiddle@wbez.org.  Be sure to include your name and contact information.