East Central Reporter

In a May 17 Facebook post, Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Effingham) praised parents who have spoken up for their kids.

"God bless the parents who have risen up to defend the rights and best interests of their kids. Let's send a message in the June 28th primary! Any candidate that did not actively stand up and stand out - vote them out," Wilhour posted.

Wilhour shared a link to an article from the Epoch Times that profiled Naperville mother Shannon Adcock. "Motherhood made me an activist," Adcock told The Epoch Times. "My utopia vision for the midterm year is that every mom knows their ballot as well as the latest Real Housewives drama, and every dad goes to the ballot and knows it as well as their fantasy football league."

In April 2021, Medill Reports looked at how parents have been taking action on behalf of their children as well. This time, the content focused on parental efforts to have students back in their classrooms. "Parents and medical professionals are sounding the alarm on mental health concerns for children and teenagers during the pandemic. This has led some, like Evanston pediatrician and mother Dr. Valerie Kimball, to advocate for resuming in-person learning," the article said.

Another kind of parental activism developed in Chicago schools with the Healthy Schools campaign. According to its website, "Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC), a national nonprofit organization, works to ensure that schools can provide students with healthy environments, nutritious food, health services and opportunities for physical activity."