GOECD Welcomes a New Team Member - Zach Allen |
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Zach Allen is joining GOECD as the Workforce Policy Coordinator. Zach began his career working as a home visitor in a Prevention Initiative Program in rural central Illinois in 2006. During his home visiting career, he was able to partner with the National Center for Parents as Teachers through a federal fatherhood grant to offer education and supports to fathers of young children through home visiting and support groups. From there, Zach worked as the Early Childhood Director at the Collinsville Community Unit School District 10. During his time at Collinsville, he coordinated early childhood programming, instituting inclusive classrooms as well as growing programs to serve more students birth to age five. Zach also served as past Secretary and Vice President for the Illinois Division for Early Childhood. The last few years, Zach has been at the Illinois State Board of Education, most recently serving as the Early Childhood Department Supervisor. Zach obtained his B.A. in Educational and Developmental Psychology (2008) and his M.A. in Human Services (2010), both from the University of Illinois at Springfield. Zach and his wife, Lisa (a teacher) have two daughters, Paislee (age 7) and Nora (age 3). |
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GOECD is Hiring for a Senior Data Analyst and ExceleRate Pilot Support Specialist |
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ExceleRate Pilot Support Specialist
The ExceleRate Pilot Support Specialist aggregates and analyzes financial and quality data from the ExceleRate Child Care Center Pilot to support formative and summative evaluation. The goal of the ExceleRate Pilot Project is to test whether certain financial supports combined with new performance requirements will help child care programs improve quality. Click here for the position description.
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Senior Data Analyst
The Senior Data Analyst executes, supports, and manages data projects at the regional, state, and local levels for the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5). Click here for the position description.
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Interested applicants should send a Cover Letter and Resume to: Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development c/o GOV.OECD@Illinois.gov.
Please share this job opportunity widely across your networks!
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Dissemination Opportunity: GOECD Monthly Newsletter |
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To better communicate featured resources and timely updates to our subscribers, GOECD is shifting to a monthly newsletter schedule. We also welcome our partners and early childhood community members to send updates for consideration for inclusion in future GOECD newsletters using this content submission form. Content is due by the second Friday of every month.
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Job Opportunity at CSA: Illinois State Deputy Director |
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Council For A Strong America (CSA) has an opening for the position of Illinois State Deputy Director. The State Deputy Director assists the State Director in all aspects of building, cultivating and mobilizing three statewide organizations consisting of business leaders (ReadyNation), law enforcement leaders (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids), and retired military leaders (Mission: Readiness). This includes enlisting these messengers in activities supporting policy agenda, coordinating advocacy efforts, and generating news-media attention. To read more about this opening, click here.
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Partner Plan Act Conference: Equity from the Start - Reimagining the Early Childhood System |
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Join Illinois Action for Children’s Community Systems Statewide Supports team, in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood, Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, and The Center: Early Childhood Professional Learning for a three-day virtual event of learning, convening, and courageous conversations on June 8-10, 2021. The theme of this year’s conference is Equity from the Start: Reimagining the Early Childhood System. The conference will feature Vu Le, Lily Be, Professor John A. Powell, and more. The conference is free to attend. To join, register here today! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to LaQuan McMahan.
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Seeking Participants For Interview Study
The University of Illinois is recruiting parents/caregivers who have preschoolers with disabilities to participate in an interview study. This study focuses on understanding parent perceptions about preschool motor curriculum for children with disabilities. Please consider participating if: you are a parent/caregiver who has a child (age 3 to 5) with a disability and you can be interviewed online or over the phone. For sharing their time and experiences, participants will receive one electronic $40 Amazon gift card. If you are interested in participating in this study or if you would like more information, please contact: Dayle Sargeant (802) 881-3130, Dr. Catherine Cheung (412) 327-6783, or Dr. Micki Ostrosky (217) 333-0260.
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Study of Families' Opportunities and Choices after Children's Early Exclusion
A research study conducted by the University of Illinois at Chicago has shown that thousands of children are expelled or pushed out of early childhood education programs each year. Many states and jurisdictions are enacting policies to limit or prohibit expulsion and suspension from early childhood and preschool programs. Unfortunately, not much is known about how children and families experience these expulsions.
This study, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and conducted by the University of Illinois at Chicago, is asking for help to better understand families' experiences of and choices after their child's early exclusion – where they turn to for help, what types of supports they received, and what is the relative cost, accessibility, and quality of subsequent care arrangements. The data shared will provide critical information to policymakers, programs, and family advocates about the multiple ways families navigate exclusions and transitions.
More information about this study can be found at:
If you have any questions, please contact Sarai Coba R., PhD, at scobaro2@uic.edu.
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Governor Pritzker Announces $1.6 Billion in Federal Aid to Increase Access to High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Child Care |
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Further advancing his commitment to making Illinois the best State in the nation for families raising young children, Governor JB Pritzker announced $1.6 billion in federal aid to expand access to high quality early childhood education and child care for children and families across the state. This includes $140 million in direct grants to child care providers over the next three weeks, adding to the $290 million granted to child care providers earlier in the pandemic. To ensure Illinois can fully capitalize on this influx of federal funds and acting on priorities outlined by the Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding, the governor announced a network of statewide early childhood planning councils to ensure all communities have access to the early childhood services they need.
To read the press release for this announcement, click here.
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Governor Pritzker Announces Illinois is First State to Extend Full Medicaid Benefits to Mothers 12 Months Postpartum |
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This month, Governor Pritzker announced Illinois is the first state in the nation to extend full Medicaid benefits from 60 days to 12 months postpartum, following the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approval of Illinois’ 1115 waiver allowing for the extension. The extension of Medicaid postpartum benefits to 12 months will strengthen continuity of care to improve health outcomes for new mothers in Illinois and is aimed at reducing the rate of maternal morbidity and mortality, including significant health disparities for Black women during the postpartum period.
To read the press release for this announcement, click here.
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SAL Family & Community Services Awarded $3.8 Million annually
to Begin Early Head Start Program
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SAL Family & Community Services (SAL), home to Skip-A-Long Child Development Services, is embarking on a major new initiative intended to transform the lives of lower-income expectant families and children through four years of age. Through the implementation of the first and only Early Head Start Child Care Partnership Program (EHS CCP) serving the Illinois-Quad Cities, SAL continues its deep commitment to further the Quad Cities’ regional vision of cultivating a community that is both equitable and inclusive. The program is made possible thanks to a new, annual $3.8 million grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and is the result of a bipartisan effort to increase access to early childhood education providers while also making transformative investments in children and families.
The new Early Head Start Child Care Partnership Program at SAL will provide comprehensive, relationship-based services to infants and toddlers, as well as lower-income pregnant mothers and their families living in Henry, Mercer, and Rock Island Counties. These services include year-round, individualized child care and early childhood services and family support including nutritional counseling, referrals to food assistance, oral health care, mental health services, substance abuse prevention and treatment, referrals to emergency shelter or transitional housing, and home-based prenatal and postpartum services.
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Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants Database is Now Live |
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The Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development (GOECD) in collaboration with the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA) is excited to announce the Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health (I/ECMH) Consultants Database!
The Database is a centralized location for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programs. This invaluable resource makes connecting with highly qualified I/ECMH Consultants convenient and will streamline the process of locating and partnering with an I/ECMH Consultant in your community.
This project was made possible by grant number 90TP0057. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.
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CDC Releases New COVID-19 Safety Guidelines for Fully Vaccinated People |
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released updated guidelines for those who are fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask outdoors, except in certain crowded settings and venues. Fully vaccinated asymptomatic people without an exposure may also be exempted from routine testing. In the new guiding principles it is noted that immunocompromised people would still need to consult their healthcare provider about these recommendations, even if fully vaccinated.
For more information on the updated guidelines for fully vaccinated people, click here. For a comparison of selected safer activities for fully vaccinated people versus unvaccinated people, click here.
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NALEO Educational Fund Launches the Juntos Podemos Campaign |
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The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund announced the Juntos Podemos (Together We Can) campaign to empower Latinos to stop the spread of COVID-19, increase vaccine uptake, and combat misinformation.
Learn more about this effort:
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Start Early COVID-19 Vaccine Resources |
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Start Early has compiled answers to frequently asked questions in English and Spanish to assist the early childhood workforce in making informed decisions about accessing the vaccine. To access these documents, which will be updated as more information becomes available, click here.
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Click below to access more COVID-19 Resources for: |
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Funding Commission Report & Resources
In December 2019, the Governor established the Illinois Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding ("Early Childhood Funding Commission"). The Commission’s charge was to study and make recommendations to establish funding goals and funding mechanisms to provide equitable access to high-quality early childhood education and care services for all children birth to age five and to advise the Governor in planning and the implementing these recommendations. The Commission submitted their recommendations to the Governor in March 2021.
The documents linked below comprise the official Recommendations of the Illinois Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding.
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P-20 Learning Renewal Webinar
Governor Pritzker’s Learning Recovery announcement, made on March 31, 2021, detailed Illinois K-12 schools are receiving $7 billion in federal funding to support students as they return to the classroom after distance and hybrid learning due to COVID-19. This announcement included the release of the P-20 Council's Learning Renewal Resource Guide, a 180-page guide filled with ideas from experts and stakeholders from across the State to help school districts renew learning and provide ongoing feedback.
All of this work will ensure children, families, and providers in Illinois are afforded the necessary system of supports following this turbulent and unprecedented year. The aim is to propel our children’s learning recovery as we transition towards a more hopeful, post-pandemic future.
To access GOECD’s webinar where the early childhood learning recovery initiatives were reviewed, click here.
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New York Times Features Child Trends Data in Article on Homelessness Before and After The Pandemic
The New York Times featured data from Child Trends early childhood expert Chrishana Lloyd and housing expert Sara Shaw in a story on homelessness in the United States. According to new HUD data, homelessness rose for the fourth straight year as of January 2020. Specifically, the story cited Child Trend’s survey of residents in Newark, New Jersey’s primarily Black South Ward Promise Neighborhood:
“The majority of renters in the South Ward were not able to pay their rent or mortgage on time, and we anticipate that situation, especially among Black families, worsened during the pandemic.”
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Toolkit for Family First Implementation Available by Chapin Hall
The right tools can help get any job done. Chapin Hall developed a toolkit to help child welfare agencies implement the first phase of the Family First Prevention Services Act. This kit is based on Chapin Hall’s work with 23 jurisdictions over the past two years. The Family First Planning and Readiness Toolkit includes a dozen tools to support first phase implementation of this pivotal new policy. The tools help agencies define their strategic direction, engage stakeholders, analyze and visualize data, survey providers, and, finally, develop a comprehensive prevention plan. To learn more about Chapin Hall’s work on Family First, email FamilyFirstChapin@Chapinhall.org.
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A Call for Stronger Collaboration between Our Child Welfare and Early Childhood Systems
Dr. Cynthia Tate, State Liaison/National Collaborative for Infants and Toddlers Capacity-Building Hub Lead with the BUILD Initiative, wrote a blog article acknowledging the challenges while highlighting the need for child welfare and early childhood systems to better align in the best interest of our most vulnerable children and their families. Click here to read, “A Project Years In The Making: Early Childhood And Child Welfare Working Together To Reach The Most Vulnerable Children In Time.”
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