Greetings Early Childhood Community, |
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I expect that many of you have experienced some concern regarding the nationwide infant formula shortage. I wanted to let you know that Illinois is taking a series of important steps to help families get the safe formula they need in response to this shortage, particularly for those families enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Approximately half of babies born in Illinois participate in the WIC program in the first year of life.
According to Governor JB Pritzker, "We've partnered with our suppliers and continue to ramp up our support centers to ensure our residents, especially low-income families, have what they need to care for their babies."
It is most important that families follow safe infant feeding practices. You may be interested in sharing these resources with families you know: an infographic from the Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health at the University of Illinois Chicago (see image above) and these tips for parents from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The Illinois Department of Human Services is working closely with Mead Johnson, retail vendors statewide, and Catholic Charities to ensure all families, and especially those in the WIC program, can access formula. For more information, including a list of FAQs and the most current information for Illinois consumers, please visit www.DHS.Illinois.Gov/BabyFormula.
Families are encouraged to buy only what they need for a few days at a time. When one family gets more than needed for a few days, another family cannot get anything. New shipments are coming in regularly. Companies are increasing production so the market should improve in the next few weeks.
Be well,
Jamilah R. Jor’dan, PhD
Executive Director
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Implementing, Sustaining and Scaling-Up High-Quality Inclusion |
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Community Inclusion Teams are a unique strategy to support this work. Early CHOICES has been supporting three communities across the state in an effort to create more access to high-quality early childhood inclusive classrooms as a part of this initiative. A Community Inclusion Teams Report summarizes the efforts and results of the work through December 2021. The short infographics highlight key components:
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Choua Vue Promoted to Senior Vice President, Policy, Research and Community Impact at Illinois Action for Children |
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Choua Vue has recently been promoted to Senior Vice President, Policy, Research and Community Impact at Illinois Action for Children (IAFC), effective May 16, 2022.
Choua began her tenure with IAFC in 2010 as Assistant Director of Community Engagement in the Public Policy and Advocacy department, advancing IAFC’s early childhood policies through grass roots organizing and building, and cultivating relationships with child care providers, advocates, and government leaders in Illinois and nationally. In 2019, Choua was promoted to Vice President of Community Impact, where she provided leadership and strategic direction to IAFC’s statewide community systems development work, launching the state’s first training and technical assistance initiative to support early childhood collaborations with the goal of advancing systems change.
Her vision for developing and implementing IAFC’s community impact work has resulted in expanded programming, increased collaborative partnerships, and new funding opportunities. Currently, Choua and the Community System Development team are working in partnership, supporting the establishment of Birth to Five Illinois and its 39 Regional Councils. The team is providing training, technical assistance, and onboarding to this statewide effort.
In her role as SVP Policy, Research and Community Impact, Choua will work to advance the organization’s mission, vision, and values by developing program, research and policy innovation that seeks to strengthen and improve early care and education opportunities locally and nationally.
Choua earned her Master of Public Affairs from Princeton University and Bachelor’s Degree in American Studies from Carleton College.
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Illinois Children's Mental Health Plan Release - May 2, 2022 |
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The Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership has released the 2022 Illinois Children’s Mental Health Plan. This plan outlines five important goals to promote children’s mental health and wellness:
- Increase public awareness on all issues connected to child mental health and wellness to decrease stigma and promote acceptance
- Improve state coordination to better assess needs, ensure effective spending, and foster innovation
- Create a centralized, public-facing hub to streamline system navigation, resources, and funding for families
- Invest in the full child-serving workforce, including mental health providers, educators, pediatricians, hospitals, and others who work with and support our children and families
- Fund the design, implementation, and evaluation of integrated and responsive system of care strategies
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Annual Symposium for Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants |
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The Annual Symposium for Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants occurred on Tuesday, May 10, through Thursday, May 12. This Symposium was supported by the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) II funding. There were 130 Consultants and supervisors of Consultants registered. This is the first time the symposium was offered over the course of three days with 12 breakout sessions. The theme of the conference was “Trauma, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, and Self-Care, All in the Time of COVID-19.”
The opening plenary featured Dr. Dee BigFoot from the University of Oklahoma titled: “The Wisdom of Indigenous Knowledge: How science has re-enforced the intuitive nature of bonding and attachment”.
The “State of the State” was presented, featuring the progress of GEER II and Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five investments for Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation. The Illinois Network of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (INCCRRA) presented on the investments and growth of professional development for Consultants across five programs (EI, ISBE, Early/Head Start, Home Visiting, and Child Care). INCCRRA also presented on Consultant data and the new Consultant Activity Tracker. Lastly, Start Early presented on the nuances of the Pyramid Model and Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation.
The closing plenary featured Gabriela Zapata-Alma from the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health: “Becoming Accessible, Culturally Responsive, and Trauma-Informed: An Integrated Framework for Supporting Multigenerational Well-being.”
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IRIS in Illinois: Community-Driven, State-Supported Systems Development |
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Since May of 2019, 17 Integrated Referral and Intake System (IRIS) communities spanning 32 counties have bloomed across the State of Illinois. IRIS is a web-based, bi-directional referral communication tool that supports diverse groups of partners from various sectors serving individuals and families across the life course in coordinating referrals and closing the communication loop with families and other partners.
State-level leaders are working to meet communities where they are, focusing on unique needs while empowering local leaders to align with statewide vision and goals to support all Illinois families. Four of these communities are supported by the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development through the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five program. Decisions are community-focused and data-driven, allowing local leaders to use the implementation of IRIS to address unique local needs such as meeting heightened needs highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, bridging the gap between healthcare and social services, and focusing on helping families with young children thrive. Early adoption and growth in communities has supported the resilient and collaborative spirit necessary for community systems building.
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Outstanding Practices in Inclusion Recognition |
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The Early Childhood Least Restrictive Environment Stakeholders Consortium, Early CHOICES, and the Illinois State Board of Education recognize Hillsboro Community Unit District #3 Coffeen Early Childhood Center for meeting both the Illinois Inclusion Guidelines and the Inclusive Classroom Profile requirements to achieve the Outstanding Practices in Inclusion recognition. This recognition demonstrates the program’s successful implementation of high-quality programming of inclusive practices for preschool age children.
There will be a formal presentation of the recognition at the Sharing A Vision Conference in October 2023 where programs will be honored.
The administration and staff at Coffeen Early Childhood Center are commended on this accomplishment and for all the good work in support of high quality inclusion for all children and families in Illinois.
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Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children Conference |
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The Growing Futures Conference will take place in person October 13-15, 2022, in Springfield, IL. |
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HRSA Launches National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-9HELP4MOMS (1-833-943-5746) |
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On May 6th, 2022, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced the launch of a pilot of a national, confidential, 24-hour, toll-free hotline for pregnant individuals and new parents facing mental health challenges. Qualified counselors staff the hotline and provide support in English and Spanish via voice and text. More information can be found here.
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$6M Funding Opportunity to Support ECEC Enrollment Campaign |
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As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) field nationally continues to face under-enrollment and staffing shortages. The state of Illinois is placing a priority on increasing the number of children enrolled in ECEC programs.
As part of Illinois’ Learning Renewal efforts, Governor’s Emergency Education Relief II funding has been allocated to the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development to support development of an early childhood awareness and enrollment campaign that has statewide reach, is tailored locally, and focuses on family and community engagement strategies that promote the importance of early learning and the availability of early childhood programs and supports to families.
To help support the success of the enrollment campaign, the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Early Childhood is funding an ECEC Enrollment Community Outreach grant to focus on local family and community engagement strategies. The Illinois Network of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (INCCRRA) will administer the grant Request for Proposal process, awarding of grant dollars, reporting, and evaluation of grantees.
Grants will be available to 39 Illinois Birth to Five regions covering all 102 Illinois counties. These grants will provide $6M in funding for local community outreach to increase enrollment. Funding will be based on the number of children under 12 in each county and will range from $24,000–$2,000,000 per Birth to Five region. Priority will be given to applicants that focus on Child Care Assistance Program enrollment and those areas with the largest enrollment decreases.
The grant RFP application, helpful links, and resources can be accessed on the INCCRRA website.
A live information meeting will be held in early June to provide information about the RFP process, what to expect, and answer questions. A recording of the meeting will be posted on the webpage within 48-hours. Visit the INCCRRA website for meeting details. |
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Regional Council Managers & New Partnerships |
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Birth to Five Illinois, a department of the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (INCCRRA), is hiring one Regional Action Council Manager in each of the 39 regions of the State.
New Regional Council Managers
The Birth to Five Illinois State Team has been busy interviewing applicants for the 39 Regional Council Manager positions, one in each of the 39 regions of the State. We are excited to announce our first cohort of Regional Council Managers was onboarded this month! Visit our Teams page to read more about the amazing new members of the Birth to Five Illinois Team! We will be onboarding a second cohort of Regional Managers in June 2022. Once all the Regional Managers are hired, we will begin the hiring process for Data/Admin and Family and Community Engagement staff in each region.
Next Step – Councils!
With support from Illinois Action for Children, the Regional Council Managers will soon begin to establish the Birth to Five Action Council and Birth to Five Family Council within their region. Thank you to everyone who has already submitted an Interest Form! For those who are interested in joining one of your region’s Councils, we invite you to complete an Interest Form or visit our Councils page to learn more.
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Apply Now – We’re Still Interviewing
There are several Regional Council Manager positions for which Birth to Five Illinois is still seeking applicants. Visit our Jobs page to see if we’re still hiring for your region. Applicants must reside or have experience within the region for which they apply and should:
· Understand the demographics and dynamics of their region
· Be familiar with community organizing
· Have experience with publicly funded early childhood services
· Feel comfortable in a start-up work environment
· Demonstrate commitment to racial, economic, and geographic equity
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Apply to the Collaboration Institute Today! |
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Illinois Action for Children (IAFC) is pleased to announce that the Request for Supports from the Community Systems Statewide Supports (CS3) team is now live! IAFC has partnered with multiple state partners to design the fifth cohort of the Partner Plan Act Collaboration Institute.
These supports assist local communities working to help children birth through five — especially those from lower-income families or families with multiple needs — enter kindergarten healthy, safe, ready to succeed, and eager to learn.
The deadline to apply for Partner Plan Act Collaboration Institute is June 20, 2022. Completed applications should be submitted to Grace Araya.
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Partner Plan Act - Equity from the Start: Taking Action, Shifting Power June 7 – 8, 2022 |
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The annual Partner Plan Act conference will take place virtually from June 7- 8, 2022. The theme of this year’s virtual conference is Equity from the Start: Taking Action, Shifting Power. Over the past few years, PPA has explored why we should center race in community systems development conversations and last year, we reimagined what the system could look like. This year, we hope to show how we can shift power in our sector to the on-the-ground providers, community members, and parents, especially those who have been historically left out of these conversations.
To help take action, sociologist Dr. Eve Ewing will join for an opening fireside conversation. The conference will also feature several opportunities to hear from parents directly through workshops, storytelling, and an all-parent panel. Dr. Dana Crawford, Pediatric and Clinical Psychologist, will provide the closing keynote session.
For the first time, this conference will be fully translated into Spanish with the hope of having a broader reach than ever before. And as always, this conference is FREE to attend and provides Gateways credits and ISBE's Continuing Professional Development Units. Help spread the word by reaching out to Kristina Rogers, so she can provide you with a marketing toolkit.
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Registration Open for ACF’s National Research Conference on Early Childhood 2022 |
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The conference will be held virtually on June 27–29, 2022. There is no registration fee to attend the conference, although all participants must register.
A dynamic, virtual platform will host plenary sessions, breakout sessions, poster sessions, and more. Attendees will receive a confirmation email immediately upon registering and a second email with instructions to access the virtual platform when it opens in June.
The final NRCEC 2022 agenda and conference program, including session titles and speakers, will be provided in the coming weeks on the NRCEC website. Please share this information with your colleagues and others who may be interested in NRCEC 2022. Join the NRCEC email list to receive updates regarding NRCEC 2022. For questions contact NRCEC@air.org.
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Infant Toddler Child Care Roadmap |
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The purpose of the project is to examine the current supply, demand, and impact of infant-toddler child care on family well-being and the economy. The project is part of Raising Illinois’ Prenatal-to-Three Policy Agenda and was supported with Preschool Development Grant B-5 funds.
The Infant and Toddler Child Care Roadmap includes a review of recent and relevant literature on infant and toddler child care, a scan of relevant policies and practices in Illinois and other states, and a summary of findings from engagement with Illinois’ child care field through focus groups and surveys. To better contextualize and interpret the data collected through these activities and to identify subsequent policy recommendations, a series of community conversations were convened throughout the State to share findings from the literature, state policy scan, surveys, and focus groups to reflect with communities on their implications. Input received from community conversations was integrated into this report which details the project’s findings and recommendations for increasing access to infant and toddler child care in Illinois.
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Latino Infants: A Continuing Imperative |
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Latino infants are reshaping the United States. Hispanics are one of the fastest-growing populations in the country, increasing by an amazing 23% since 2010.
There is an urgent need to develop informed policies and provide sufficient resources to ensure Latino babies develop into healthy children. UnidosUS reviewed research evidence on dual-language learning, culturally responsive practices, and numerous health topics important to Latino infant development.
The report also presents the experiences of program administrators, who describe the impacts of COVID-19 on this development, results from a survey of early childhood teachers, as well as policy recommendations for the state and federal levels.
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New America Research on Exclusionary Discipline |
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This month, New America released the report "Reducing Exclusionary Discipline Practices in Early Childhood Education."
This report breaks down what Illinois and Colorado have done in their efforts to reduce suspensions and expulsions and what the response has been from providers. The report focuses on early childhood mental health consultation and professional development around social-emotional learning. It also offers ten takeaways for policymakers as states pursue reform in early childhood discipline policies and work to help teachers address challenging behaviors.
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Child Opportunity Index 2.0 |
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The recent webinar, “Learn About the Child Opportunity Index 2.0,” presented by DiversityDataKids.org, provided participants with a detailed overview of the Child Opportunity Index (COI), a rich dataset for child well-being and opportunity. The Index includes 29 indicators spanning three domains - education, health and environment, and social and economic. It focuses on neighborhood features that matter for children and provides granular data on nearly all U.S. neighborhoods. The entire webinar, review, use of the Index, and technical documentation can be accessed here.
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Illinois Vaccinates Against COVID-19 - Free Posters and Handouts for Parents and Caregivers |
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Vaccination against COVID-19 works to prevent serious illness. Children five years old and older are already eligible, and it is expected that soon young children ages six months through four years old will become eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This will be an important opportunity to offer another layer of protection against the virus to more children. As trusted professionals, early childhood educators can promote vaccines by sharing information with parents and caregivers to answer questions and help with worries.
The Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in collaboration with the Extension for Community Health Outcomes Chicago and the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians, is implementing Illinois Vaccinates Against COVID (IVAC). They have developed infographics and handouts in English and Spanish for parents and caregivers. These address common myths, explain how the vaccine works, and offer tips to help children get through the needlestick, in English and Spanish. You can view and download the handouts here. To request an outreach bundle, with multiple copies to share with families, complete the request form here.
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Early Care and Education Providers – On the Frontlines of Public Health |
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Early care and education (ECE) providers are on the front lines of public health – protecting and nurturing children, teaching healthy behaviors, and supporting parents. Click here to learn what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is doing to support early care and education providers in their important work. Information includes professional and personal support, and educational resources.
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