Get an inside look at the policies and practices shaping the field and our work on key issues to advance change in the public sector to reimage systems and support children, youth, and families on their journey to thrive.
At the Ahlquist Center, we focus on advocating for robust, antiracist, equitable policies and social supports that create social capital, economic mobility, and systems designed to ensure children, families, and communities thrive.
In the center’s podcast, Ahlquist Agenda, we invite you to take an inside look at how we think about policy: why it matters, how it impacts youth, families, and communities, and what you can do to advance change.
Eric Mayo is the Public Policy Manager at Brightpoint, where he leads legislative advocacy work to advance systemic change in alignment with the organization’s Blueprint for Impact. Over the past few years, Eric has worked to make policy at the intersection of child welfare and early education and care, address access to driver’s license for foster youth, and support policies that support families in meeting their basic needs, included the expansion of Illinois’s Earned Income Credit, creating the State’s first ever child tax credit, and creating a diaper allowance for Illinois families.
Prior to joining Children’s Home & Aid, Eric spent 3.5 years as a legislative aide in the New York State Legislature. He earned his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and a Master’s Degree from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago.
The Ahlquist Center is to analyzes, develops, and changes policies, systems, and practices impacting children, youth, and families in Illinois and nationally to improve outcomes and support thriving.
The Youth Budget Commission brings together a diverse group of youth and young adult policy and practice professionals appointed by the Governor to examine the impact of the State’s budget on youth across Illinois.
Brightpoint, through its Ahlquist Center for Policy, Practice, & Innovation, works with state government and partner organizations to develop and implement programs to enrich the lives of youth and families.
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