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Senator Collins remains committed to serving working families across the 5th District and the entire state of Illinois. She is a consistent, fierce advocate for the voiceless, focused on fighting for a better future for all.

A strong advocate for youth in care
As someone who personally understands the challenges that come with housing insecurity and instability as a child, Senator Collins has become a leading legislator on issues related to youth in care. She supported the KIND Act, a law that creates a more flexible pathway for youth-in-care to remain with relatives in a stable, safe home, which Gov. JB Pritzker signed in February 2025. She also introduced legislation that would put an end to the disproportionate financial burden on families in the foster care system, as well as a measure to help youth with their transition out of the foster care system.

Senator Collins is a single mother of three boys. She understands the challenges of balancing the jobs of providing for her family financially while being present to create a safe, stable environment for her children to thrive. In 2024, Senator Collins passed the Birth Equity Initiative, which expands insurance coverage for pregnancy, postpartum and newborn care provided by doulas and midwives. She has also introduced measures that create a diaper allowance program for eligible families and a tax credit for qualified owners of low-income housing.  

Thanks to the Birth Equity Initiative, Senator Collins helped secure a $450,000 Birth Equity Grant for the 5th District. The grants went to two organizations: the McDermott Center, which received $250,000, and UIC Miles Square, which received $200,000. This investment will support mothers, especially Black women, who face higher rates of maternal mortality and open up medical resources for those in need.

Senator Collins’ background as a nursing home worker has instilled in her a deep passion for Illinois seniors and improving access to quality, affordable healthcare for all. Most recently, Senator Collins spearheaded an initiative to protect seniors from abuse and neglect in nursing homes, while also holding bad actors in the industry accountable. The measure was signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker in 2025. 

Senator Collins also passed Liam’s Law, which aims to provide better bereavement support measures for parents experiencing perinatal and infant loss. The measure, which was signed into law, requires hospitals to notify the parents of their right to receive a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth following a spontaneous fetal death during or after the second trimester. 

As she continues to advocate for measures to make nursing homes safer and increase mental healthcare for students during school hours, Senator Collins also helped secure nearly $150,000 in essential funding for the University of Illinois Chicago’s readiness education program for nurses. Experiencing the overworked and underpaid status quo as a nurse, Senator Collins will always be a champion for making strategic investments in the healthcare workforce. 

Senator Collins knows that to build safer communities, we must focus on addressing and solving the root causes of violence. As co-chair of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, she is focused on restorative justice measures that provide an alternative, rehabilitative approach instead of traditional incarceration that has disproportionately harmed communities of color. Senator Collins advanced a measure that provides guidance for local law enforcement for removing criminal trespassers from a person’s home and recently passed a measure that assists victims of child abuse in their pursuit of justice.

Senator Collins is a tireless advocate for equality and human rights. She is proud of the work Illinois has done to remain a safe haven for women and LGBTQ+ people, but the far right’s pursuit to strip away protections for marginalized people has proven to be relentless. Senator Collins will always fight back against harmful, regressive policies and is proud to be on the right side of history by advocating for all of our rights.. She’s a proud recipient of the Richard J. Phelan Profile in Courage award and was selected as Vice Chair for the Illinois Senate Human Rights Committee.

Senator Collins also recognizes that healthcare and housing are basic human rights. As someone who experienced homelessness, she personally understands the vulnerability that comes along with not having stable housing. She’s remained a consistent champion in the General Assembly for these basic human rights and is proud to have emerged as a change agent for the voiceless.

Senator Collins believes every student deserves access to a quality education. As a member of the Education Appropriations Committee, she has worked to ensure Illinois’ public schools receive adequate funding and can provide enriching learning opportunities for every child, regardless of income or zip code. She’s an advocate for targeted funding to expand opportunities for low-income and minority students, and she is working to increase access to trade programs in communities of color.

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