Governor Pritzker Announces $54 Million Increase in Early Childhood Education Funding

Earlier this month Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced a $54 million increase in funding for the Early Childhood Block Grant. This 10% increase for FY23 will serve 4,500 additional Illinois students. 

“Supporting children from pregnancy to toddlerhood to preschool is one of my administration’s top priorities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “And in Illinois, every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn and succeed, regardless of their family’s socio-economic status. “ 

Child Care: Correcting Perception by Acknowledging Impact

Join Raising Illinois for A Deep Dive into One of the Infant Toddler Child Care Roadmap's Easiest Recommendations to Solve For--

During this recorded event you will:

• Learn about the Infant & Toddler Child Care Roadmap project & it’s connection to the PN3 Policy Agenda
• Explore the power of quality child care & the importance of the child care workforce
• Hear from child care providers about one solution they recommend for increasing supply of providers in the state
• Hear from parents, advocates and business leaders about their experiences accessing child care 

Thursday, September 22, 2022

12:00 pm Central

2022 National Prenatal-to-3 Research to Policy Summit

Join thousands of state policy leaders, scholars, and practitioners to learn what state policies impact the foundational prenatal-to-3 developmental period and how your state is tracking. Thursday, October 13, 1-4pm Central. Registration is now open! 

Birth to Five Illinois Seeks Staff & Council Members Across the State

Illinois has committed to building a statewide regional and community infrastructure, named Birth to Five Illinois, to improve quality, equity, and access to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programs and services across the State, particularly for families who have been historically marginalized. According to Cicely L. Fleming, State Director for Birth to Five Illinois, “This major undertaking will only provide the equitable representation of family needs if we provide the necessary infrastructure, including staffing. We can no longer expect equity by setting up systems reliant on volunteer labor.”

Join Our Team!

The Birth to Five Illinois staffing structure includes a Council Manager (all 39 have been hired), Family & Community Engagement Specialist (now hiring!), and an Administrative Support person (now hiring!) in each region of the State.

• The Regional Administrative Support staff will be responsible for providing administrative, communications, and research/data support to the regional Birth to Five Illinois department.
• The Regional Family & Community Engagement Specialist will play a vital role in establishing the foundation of support for this new effort to build a statewide early childhood infrastructure within their region. Key to Birth to Five Illinois' success is a candidate who brings experience working in the community as a conduit for family voice with a belief in the power of bottom-up systems change.

Job postings are currently live for several regions, and additional regional postings will be made available soon. Applicants must live or have experience within the region for which they apply.

Join Your Region’s Council!

In order to create policies and take actions based on the current needs of children and families, we need Illinois residents from diverse families and with a wide range of experience to join their region’s Birth to Five Action Council or Birth to Five Family Council. Councils will meet one to two times per month, and family members will receive a stipend for their time and experience. We are currently seeking, in particular, community members from underrepresented populations; Bilingual/ESL Specialists; local/county elected officials; business representatives; members of the faith community; and healthcare, higher education, and library employees to join their region’s Action Council.

Those interested, we invite you to complete an Interest Form or visit our Councils page to learn more.

Click here to sign up from newsletters from Birth to Five Illinois. 

Featured Resource

Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation New Public Awareness Resources

In collaboration with stakeholders including the Family Advisory Council, Caregiver Connections, and Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants, the GOECD is pleased to release two more one-pagers raising awareness about Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation. These new resources are written for parents and family members and for family child care professionals. They describe the scope of supports offered by Caregiver Connections for Mental Health Consultation, training, and technical assistance. The one-pagers are available in the following languages: English, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Urdu, Chinese Simplified. Visit the GOECD Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation webpage to download and share the resource with your network! Please visit the GOECD I/ECMHC webpage to download these one-pagers and share widely!

Maternal and Child Health

Monkeypox Guidance for Child Care

The Illinois Department of Public health has issued interim guidance on the Monkeypox Virus (MPV) for early childhood education and care settings. MPV is a disease that can cause flu-like symptoms and a rash. Human-to-human transmission of MPV occurs by direct contact with lesions or infected body fluids, or from exposure to respiratory secretions during prolonged face-to-face close contact. The guidance describes how to recognize it, prevent transmission and manage exposure.  

Updated COVID-19 Guidance for Child Care 

New guidance has also been issued for child care. The updated guidance adopts the guidance from the CDC, which continues to recommend strategies for everyday operations that prevent the spread COVID-19 and other infectious disease. T

The following strategies should be in place in at all Community Levels:

• Promote staying up to date with all routine vaccinations
• Implement policies that encourage students and staff to stay home when sick
• Optimize ventilation systems
• Reinforce proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette
• Utilize proper cleaning and disinfection procedures

Lead Testing Training for Child Care Providers

LeadCare Illinois offers FREE lead in water testing and training to all Illinois licensed child care providers. LeadCare Illinois is funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health and administered by Elevate, a nonprofit organization that seeks to create a just and equitable world in which everyone has clean and affordable heat, power, and water in their homes and communities.