Greetings Early Childhood Community, |
|
I hope everyone continues to be well. I am honored to welcome Nicole J. Craft as the new Deputy Director of the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development (GOECD). |
|
Nicole J. Craft has over 20 years of experience in the public service sector. She is an experienced leader in the field of early childhood development and has worked across the mixed service delivery system overseeing Head Start/Early Head Start programming, as well as the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). During the beginning stages of her career, Nicole served in the capacity of direct service working with pregnant women and young mothers between the ages of 16 and 24 as a Home Visitor. She later served as a Program Manager for a Head Start/Early Head Start program in Northern Virginia in which she implemented the Inclusion Model program to ensure children identified with disabilities received onsite special education services. Nicole diversified her skill sets as she continued in her career, serving as a Contracts Analyst for nearly 10 years during which she monitored and provided technical assistance to nonprofit organizations. In 2014, Nicole returned to Chicago and served as the Supervisor of Children Services Programs providing oversight of the Department of Family and Support Services' (DFSS) CCAP. In 2020, Nicole began working with the DFSS Children Services Division, serving as the Team Lead Supervisor for the Health Services Content Area. Nicole earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work from Grambling State University and a Master of Arts degree in Social Work from Howard University. Nicole also earned a second Master of Arts degree in Education and Human Development from the George Washington University.
We at GOECD look forward to working with Nicole and welcome her to our team!
|
|
Jamilah R. Jor'dan, PhD
Executive Director
Illinois Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development (GOECD)
|
|
New Resources Posted to GOECD's PDG B-5 Webpage |
|
Several new resources developed as part of the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) have been posted to the PDG B-5 webpage on the GOECD website. Visit the site page for information on the statewide Needs Assessment and Strategic Plan, as well as to view resources developed to: maximize parent and family choice, knowledge, and engagement in Illinois' early childhood education and care (ECEC) system; share best practices and enhance professional development to support the ECEC workforce; improve quality and service integration and expand access to ECEC programs and services across the State; and monitor, evaluate, and improve data collection and use for continuous improvement. |
|
Significant Expansion of Financial Assistance for Families Seeking Child Care and Providers |
|
Building on his commitment to making Illinois the leading state in the country for families raising young children, on June 29, 2021, Governor JB Pritzker announced a significant expansion of financial assistance for both families and providers that allows children to return to quality, affordable child care programs. Eighty percent of families will pay less for child care under this latest round of changes, to be administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).
Beginning July 1, 2021, DHS will facilitate the following improvements:
-
Reducing family payments: Family payments or copayments -- the monthly amount parents are required to pay to child care providers for the cost of their child care -- will be permanently lowered to $1 per month for families with incomes at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Limit (FPL). 80% of all families will see a reduction in their monthly co-pay.
-
Preserving co-pay percentage limits: Family payments will remain permanently capped at 7% of family income, with co-pays for 80% of families falling below that rate.
-
Helping families as income grows: Going forward, CCAP families will now remain eligible until the family’s income surpasses 250% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), instead of the current cap of 225%. The income thresholds to be eligible for and to remain on the Child Care Assistance Program have been updated to current FPL and State Median Income (SMI) amounts. Payments will increase from there on a sliding scale based on family income. These improvements allow families more flexibility as people begin to return to work and rebuild from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
-
Increasing reimbursement rates by 3.5% for all CCAP providers to help providers keep their doors open and fully recover from the pandemic.
-
Improving predictability for providers: If a child receiving CCAP attends at least 70% of eligible days in a month, providers will be paid for the full month. The previous policy required an 80% attendance rate. This change will allow for more stable payments for providers in the event of occasional absences.
|
|
Governor JB Pritzker Signs Historic Legislation Requiring Asian American History to be Taught in Public Schools |
|
On July 9, 2021, Governor JB Pritzker signed into law HB 376, the Teaching Equitable Asian American History Act, making Illinois the first state in the nation to require a unit of Asian American history be taught in public schools. The monumental measure will ensure every high school graduate in Illinois will learn about Asian American history as well as the rich contributions and traditions of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. HB 376 takes effect on January 1, 2022. |
|
Mariana Souto-Manning, Ph.D., Named President of Erikson Institute |
|
|
|
The Erikson Institute Board of Trustees announced that Mariana Souto-Manning, Ph.D., will serve as the graduate school’s fifth president starting on September 1, 2021.
Souto-Manning is currently Professor of Early Childhood Education and Teacher Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. She serves as the Director of Early Childhood Education and the Director of Early Childhood Special Education Programs. She formerly served as the Director of the Doctoral Program in Curriculum and Teaching. She is Vice President-elect for the American Educational Research Association Division K (Teaching and Teacher Education). She also holds academic appointments abroad at the University of Iceland and King’s College London. Prior to her career in higher education, Souto-Manning was a teacher in public preschools in Brazil and the United States.
|
|
CDC Releases Updated COVID-19 Guidance for Operating Early Childhood Education and Care Programs |
|
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated COVID-19 Guidance for Operating Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programs. The updated guidance focuses on helping administrators of ECEC programs, along with state and local health officials, safely support in-person child care operations.
Key Takeaways:
- Vaccination is currently the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Promoting vaccination among eligible individuals can help ECE programs protect staff and children in their care, as well as their families.
- Most ECE programs serve children under the age of 12 who are not yet eligible for vaccination at this time. Therefore, this guidance emphasizes implementing layered COVID-19 prevention strategies (e.g. using multiple prevention strategies together) to protect children and adults who are not fully vaccinated.
- COVID-19 prevention strategies remain critical to protect people, including children and staff, who are not fully vaccinated, especially in areas of moderate-to-high community transmission levels.
- Masks should be worn indoors by all individuals (ages two and older) who are not fully vaccinated. ECE settings may implement universal mask use in some situations, such as if they serve a population not yet eligible for vaccination or if they have increasing, substantial, or high COVID-19 transmission in their ECE program or community.
- Localities should monitor community transmission, vaccination coverage, the occurrence of outbreaks, and local policies and regulations to guide decisions on the use of layered prevention strategies.
|
|
Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools |
|
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also updated their Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools.
Key Takeaways:
- Students benefit from in-person learning, and safely returning to in-person instruction in the fall 2021 is a priority.
- Vaccination is currently the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Promoting vaccination can help schools safely return to in-person learning as well as extracurricular activities and sports.
- Masks should be worn indoors by all individuals (age two and older) who are not fully vaccinated. Consistent and correct mask use by people who are not fully vaccinated is especially important indoors and in crowded settings when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
- CDC recommends schools maintain at least three feet of physical distance between students within classrooms, combined with indoor mask wearing by people who are not fully vaccinated, to reduce transmission risk. When it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of at least three feet, such as when schools cannot fully re-open while maintaining these distances, it is especially important to layer multiple other prevention strategies, such as indoor masking.
- Screening testing, ventilation, handwashing and respiratory etiquette, staying home when sick and getting tested, contact tracing in combination with quarantine and isolation, and cleaning and disinfection are also important layers of prevention to keep schools safe.
- Students, teachers, and staff should stay home when they have signs of any infectious illness and be referred to their health care provider for testing and care.
- Many schools serve children under the age of 12 who are not eligible for vaccination at this time. Therefore, this guidance emphasizes implementing layered prevention strategies (e.g. using multiple prevention strategies together consistently) to protect people who are not fully vaccinated, including students, teachers, staff, and other members of their households.
- COVID-19 prevention strategies remain critical to protect people, including students, teachers, and staff, who are not fully vaccinated, especially in areas of moderate-to-high community transmission levels.
- Localities should monitor community transmission, vaccination coverage, screening testing, and occurrence of outbreaks to guide decisions on the level of layered prevention strategies (e.g. physical distancing, screening testing).
|
|
Illinois Department of Public Health Adopts CDC COVID-19 Prevention School Guidance |
|
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is fully adopting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in Kindergarten (K)-12 Schools released on July 9, 2021. "Our goal is to protect the health of students, teachers, and staff so that in-person learning can resume as safely as possible," said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. "The CDC is right: vaccination is the best preventive strategy. As school board members, parents, teachers, and superintendents plan for a return to in-person learning in the fall, we strongly encourage those who are not vaccinated to continue to mask. IDPH is proud to fully adopt school guidance issued by CDC, which is based on the latest scientific information about COVID-19." |
|
|
Updated Guidance for Illinois Home Visiting, Doula, and Coordinated Intake Programs |
|
New guidance for home visiting, doula, and coordinated intake programs has been issued by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting program (MIECHV), and the City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS). Head Start/Early Head Start home visiting programs should follow the guidance from the Office of Head Start.
The guidance includes several sample screening tools that programs may choose to use, including a sample home visiting preparedness questionnaire in English and Spanish (see pages 9-10 of the guidance).
|
|
New Website for Parents about Childhood Vaccinations |
|
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many infants and young children have fallen behind in their vaccinations. EverThrive has launched a digital campaign to promote immunizations. The site includes information about the vaccine schedule and resources to find a vaccine provider. |
|
“It’s Time for Employers to Deepen Their Understanding of Trauma” |
|
|
|
A recent article written by Garen Staglin for Forbes Magazine explains how the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the issue of employee trauma and burnout to the forefront. Many sectors are now reckoning with a workforce that is dealing with the effects of trauma at home and in the workplace and must implement new trauma-informed policies if they want to succeed in the post-pandemic era. In the article, Staglin provides a brief series of tips and framing for businesses to address the effects of trauma on their employees and provide a safer workplace. He also discusses why organizations might need to “look inward” and examine what policies and practices might be changed to create a more trauma-informed workplace for employees.
|
|
Click below to access COVID-19 Resources for: |
|
Family and Community Empowerment: Monthly Virtual Networking Opportunity |
|
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Learning Technology Center, and other Illinois educational advocacy groups will be starting a virtual monthly networking meeting for parents, caregivers, and community support members across the State during the upcoming 2021-2022 school year. Meetings will focus on capacity building, networking, sharing best practices, and empowering attendees with the tools and skills they need to be able to make an even greater impact in their communities.
Click each link below to register for each month's meeting.
|
|
Meetings in English will take place the second Tuesday of each month from 3:15 - 4:15 p.m. CST.
|
|
Las reuniones en español se llevarán a cabo el segundo jueves de cada mes de 3:15 - 4:15 p.m. CST.
|
|
Illinois Action for Children is Hiring for a Director of Public Policy |
|
The Public Policy team at Illinois Action for Children is committed to creating a child care and early education ecosystem that prioritizes the hopes and dreams of families, advancing racial, gender, and economic equity. The Director of Public Policy should be experienced in leveraging policy to advance racial equity; be familiar with or committed to learning human-centered design processes as they apply to building strong public policy, advocacy, and systems; and be able to manage a team to support this work. The Director will work closely with both the research and advocacy departments as well as the direct service departments of Illinois Action for Children. The Director must be able to identify, analyze, and brief stakeholders on data and research from other states that may inform our approach in Illinois. |
|
|
GOECD is Hiring for a Senior Data Analyst |
|
The Senior Data Analyst will execute, support, and manage data projects at the regional, state, and local levels for the Preschool Development Birth through Five (PDG B-5) grant. Please view the job description for additional information. Interested applicants should send a cover letter and resume to: Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development c/o GOV.OECD@Illinois.gov.
|
|
Federal Broadband Assistance Program for Illinois Families |
|
|
|
The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Emergency Broadband Benefit program helps connect Illinoisans to affordable internet. The program utilizes federal COVID-19 relief funding to provide eligible households discounts of up to $50 per month on home internet service, making the service more affordable and accessible for qualifying lower-income families. The program also offers a $100 discount towards the purchase of a laptop, computer, or tablet from a participating provider. |
|
GOECD and INCCRRA Partner on Early Care and Education Work Force Initiatives |
|
Gateways to Opportunity Credential Application and Renewal Fee Waiver:
Since June of 2020, over 11,500 individuals (11,542 exactly) have taken advantage of one or more credential fee waivers or credential renewal waivers offered via PDG B-5 funding. This high response from the field indicates credential fees are a significant barrier to the underpaid Early Childhood workforce.
Pathway Design from Gateways ECE Credential Level 5 to Professional Educator Licensure:
Due to legislative mandates, individuals with a Gateways ECE Credential Level 5 are able to teach in a Preschool for All setting provided they work on obtaining a valid PEL within five years. A relatively small number of individuals have gained a PEL since this legislation was passed with support from institutions that have created unique and varied pathways. There is no unified and transparent approach among Illinois higher education institutions to help individuals move from the Gateways Credential to a PEL, which can create confusion for the workforce and minimize use. Currently, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is moving its Professional Educator License (PEL) with an Early Childhood endorsement to a competency basis, which will align with the Gateways to Opportunity® ECE Credential Level 5 move to competencies several years ago. Using this competency infrastructure, and with PDG B-5 funding support, over 30 Illinois institutions have been invited to participate in developing a state-wide “bridge” of competencies to create an equitable and streamlined pathway to advance from an ECE Credential Level 5 to a PEL with an Early Childhood Endorsement. It is anticipated this bridge of competencies will be designed/completed by December of 2021 allowing for implementation in 2022/2023.
Prior Learning Assessment:
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is a research proven catalyst for the incumbent workforce to gain college credit which advances professional development opportunities and results in attainment of certificates/credentials/degrees. Under GOECD's direction, a statewide PLA process that is virtually accessible, utilized by multiple Illinois higher education institutions, and offers transfer between institutions is being created for the ECE workforce. This PDG B-5 funded project will utilize cutting edge technology and be accessible throughout the State. PLA can be an effective tool in assisting the workforce in achieving educational goals more quickly and efficiently, as PLA can be an accelerator to degree or credential attainment. With the state and national teacher shortage, creating a support infrastructure for potential or existing early childhood educators to enter degree programs and to gain PLA for existing knowledge and skills will be a critical asset for both students and our higher education institutions.
For more information on the Workforce Supports and Pathways currently funded by the PDG B-5, please click here.
|
|
Evaluating the Implementation of the Illinois Expulsion Law 2017-2020 |
|
Across the U.S., 17,000 preschool-aged children are excluded from Early Childhood Education (ECE) annually, preventing exposure to essential social, emotional, and academic learning. Exclusion places children at greater risk for future school expulsions, dropouts, and involvement in the criminal justice system. Children of color (specifically Black boys) are disproportionately expelled. Illinois has one of the most expansive pieces of ECE expulsion legislation aimed to limit, ultimately ending, the practice of exclusionary discipline in early childhood. A three-year longitudinal study from the University of Illinois Chicago analyzed data from administrator reports regarding their program’s exclusionary discipline practices. Results indicate that fewer children are expelled now than before the law went into effect. However, male students and Black students were disproportionately excluded. Children with disabilities or special learning needs were slightly over-excluded, as were older children and children who displayed physically dangerous/aggressive behavior. Consistent with legislation, parent meetings happened before all planned transitions; however, programs were not exhausting all resources prior to excluding. Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (I/ECMHC) was an underutilized resource, and at least 20% of excluded children did not transition to another learning environment to the director’s knowledge. Although rates of exclusion decreased with this legislation, troubling disparities persist. |
|
Illinois Risk and Reach Report: 2019 Data Now Available for Download |
|
The Illinois Risk and Reach Report presents a set of data indicators representing Risk factors that could undermine optimal child development and compares them to the Reach of publicly funded programs and services that support early childhood well-being. This report reflects 2019 data to establish a baseline measuring the conditions for children and their families prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
|
Child Tax Credit Benefits Available Now |
|
From July 15 through December 2021, the new Child Tax Credit in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act provides monthly benefits of $250 per child between the ages of 6-17 and $300 per child under age 6.
Most families (nearly 90% of children in the United States) should have started receiving monthly payments without having to take any action.
|
|
Free Poison Prevention Online Education and Resources |
|
Order free Illinois Poison Center (IPC) Education Materials for all your summer education events, activities, and outreach efforts, all with the IPC's new, fresh logo and colors as seen on their new website!
- Smart Phone Ring Stands
- Children's Activity Sheets
- Stickers
- Magnets
- Posters
Prior to ordering, if you haven't already done so, please complete the free, quick, and easy online Poison Prevention Education Course.
|
|
|
|
The Annie E. Casey Foundation has released the latest KIDS COUNT Data Book, which contains the latest available data on child well-being. The report includes U.S. and Illinois data. The report also includes data from the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey about families' experiences during the pandemic. |
|
5 Misunderstood Facts: The Connection Between Early Childhood Development and Lifelong Health |
|
This new fact sheet from the Center on the Developing Child describes how the environments and experiences of young children and their families affect not just the developing brain, but also many other physiological systems. Systems relating to brain development, heart and lung function, digestion, energy production, fighting infection, and physical growth are all interconnected and influence each other’s development and function. |
|
"The Compounding Effects Of Racial Trauma, A Year After George Floyd's Murder" |
|
One year after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, writer and podcaster Tonya Mosley speaks with St. Paul-based psychotherapist April Preston on the impact of racial trauma on Black Americans and how to address it. Preston notes that while Floyd’s murder, as well Breonna Taylor’s murder, may have pushed the issue of Black trauma to the forefront of the mainstream media or White American’s minds, Black people have been dealing with it for hundreds of years within the community while being dismissed:
“This is trauma that is not just one event. It's...being pulled over by the police, or something very frightening and scary happening to you and...not ending there. It's followed up by something else: people not understanding what's happening to you, or [not] trusting what you are saying. It's that constant rolling of things that make you fear for your life. And that's what makes it complicated, because it's not just one thing.”
She also discusses how managing the intergenerational racial trauma cannot be placed solely upon individuals but must be a community effort. Though Preston advocates for self-care with her Black clients, she also encourages “nurturing a positive cultural identity” for Black Americans—practicing certain customs and forming strong connections within community—as well as advocating for transparency and frankness around racial trauma with all Americans.
|
|
"How Residential School Trauma of Previous Generations Continues to Tear Through Indigenous Families" |
|
The recent discovery of 215 unmarked graves of Indigenous children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, Canada has brought increased scrutiny towards the practice of forced assimilation at boarding schools in both Canada and the United States. Just this week, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland—herself a member of the Laguna Pueblo Nation—announced the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, which will investigate potential burial sites at U.S. boarding schools.
For many Indigenous families though, these efforts come generations too late. In this article, writer Mary Cuttler interviews survivors of the Canadian boarding school program and their families about the effects that echo throughout generations, as well as Indigenous experts who are working to help First Nations communities and families heal: "Once [my mother] was able to share with me her experiences and her trauma that she came home with, you know, coming out of residential school, I was able to actually work through that anger and that resentment that I had towards her, and our family was able to start healing."
|
|
USDA Meals for Kids Site Finder |
|
|
|
For millions of low-income kids, the end of the school year can mean an end to free breakfast and lunch programs. But United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Summer Food Service Program helps ensure children will have access to nutritious meals, even when school is out. USDA made temporary changes so meals can be taken home and parents or guardians can pick up meals for their children, per state guidelines. Families can use the tool to find directions to sites, as well as hours of operation and contact information. |
|
GOECD strives to be mindful of the type of information you would like to receive from us. Please complete this short form to help us better customize the emails we send to you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
