Region 1-B-D
Cook County (North)
Region 1-B-D Reports
Early Childhood Regional Needs Assessment highlights data and stories from community members across the Region and includes strengths, family- and community-identified needs, and recommendations for how to make our local Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services more accessible and equitable.
Addendum includes additional community feedback captured as our Regional Team and Action and Family Councils shared our initial report’s findings throughout the Region.
Action Plan is a living community document that focuses on the top priorities from our Region’s initial ECEC needs assessment. Council members developed Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) goals for each recommendation and plans and timelines to fulfill them.
Early Childhood Needs Assessment: Focus on Mental & Behavioral Health features stories from families and ECEC providers about the challenges and successes they have accessing Mental and Behavioral Health services.
NEW Mental & Behavioral Health Addendum includes new information about the available Mental and Behavioral Health resources shared by caregivers, Early Childhood professionals, and community members after the release of our initial report.
Family Council Members
Allyson Stefani, Palatine (Cook County)
Elizabeth Halim, Hanover Park (Cook County)
Fareen Vora, Schaumburg (Cook County)
Jessamyn Kryska, Arlington Heights (Cook County)
Laura Colic, Schaumburg (Cook County)
Najma Nishat, Palatine (Cook County)
Rocio Rodriguez Flores, Lincolnwood (Cook County)
Roma Rizvi, Palatine (Cook County)
Sharmishtha Goel, Park Ridge (Cook County)
Thu Pham, Hoffman Estates (Cook County)
Yazmin Baker, Hanover Park (Cook County)
Yazmin Tejeda, Palatine (Cook County)
Action Council Members
Abby Alpert, Childcare Network of Evanston, Family Support Specialist
Agnieszka Moroni, TOTS Therapeutic Child Care Center, NFP, Founder & Director
Amy Cocorikis, CARE Consulting, Developmental Pediatric Consultant & Director
Aremi Arroyo, Partners for Our Communities, Case Manager
Bettye Cohns, Oakton Community College, Adjunct Instructor
Chris Tokarski, Illinois Action for Children, Vice President of Family and Provider Resources
Clare Giuffrida, Early Intervention, Occupational Therapist
Jacqueline Mendoza, Evanston Cradle to Career, Community Engagement Specialist
Katie Kretzmann, Illinois Action for Children, Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant
Kerry Bauer, City of Evanston Parks and Recreation, Early Childhood Operations Supervisor
Kimberly Bianchini, Advance Preschool, Owner & Director
Kristen Ford, Early Childhood Developmental Enrichment Center (ECDEC), ECDEC/FIND Project Director
Maureen Hallagan, Marillac St. Vincent Family Services, Chief of External Affairs
Michele Ramsey, CCSD #59 Early Learning Center, Principal
Monica Ruzicka-Stout, Child Advocate, Parent/Family Member Representative
Nicole Woodcox Bolden, Thriving With Baby, Thriving With Baby Owner/Clinical Therapist, LCSW
Sarah Galla, Shelter, Inc., Clinical Program Director
Tina Vanderwarker, Evanston Early Childhood Council & Niles Township Early Childhood Alliance, Executive Director & Evanston Early Childhood Council
Tracy Katz Muhl, Illinois House of Representatives, State Representative (IL-57)
Vikki Podlipni, Miss Ela's Preschool (Pani Ela's Preschool), Preschool Teacher & Speech Language Pathology Assistant
Yesenia Rubio, Child Advocate, Parent/Family Member Representative
Meet Your Regional Team!
Ilinca Wallace
Ilinca Wallace (she/her) is the Regional Council Manager for Region 1-B-D (Cook North). Ilinca has enjoyed learning and growing in the Early Childhood Education and Care field in a variety of settings, including community based Early Head Start and Head Start programs, nonprofit organizations, and more recently as an Early Childhood Practice Consultant.
Ilinca immigrated to the United States from Romania at the age of 11 and is fluent in Romanian, Spanish, and English. She graduated from Erikson Institute with a Master of Science in Child Development with a focus on administration and infancy and from National Louis University with a PhD in Community Psychology. Ilinca enjoys spending her time outdoors with her husband, Chad, their three daughters, Alina, Elizabeth, Gwendolyn, and their dog, Maya.
Irene Di Minervino
Irene Di Minervino (she/her) is the Family & Community Engagement Specialist for Region 1-B-D (Cook North). Irene has been in the Early Childhood field for over 18 years, working alongside pediatricians, child care providers, early interventionists, parents, caregivers, and other stakeholders. Her passion for Early Childhood grew exponentially after taking a Child Development class at Knox College. Irene’s experience has always led her to working with, and on behalf of, parents and caregivers of young children. She is passionate about helping parents advocate for themselves and their families.
Irene immigrated to the United States from Belarus when she was eight years old and is bilingual in Russian and English. She graduated from Erikson Institute with her Master of Science in Child Development, specializing in infancy and administration. Irene lives in the suburbs northwest of downtown Chicago with her husband, Luca, and two young boys, Nolan and Aiden. In her free time, she enjoys card making and scrapbooking.
Carrie Rafalski
Carrie Rafalski (she/her) is the Region 1-B-D (Cook North) Administrative Support. She has worked in the field of Early Childhood Education for over 30 years in various roles ranging from administrative to teaching. Carrie has been an active member of the Golden Corridor Association for the Education of Young Children (GoAEYC) for 29 years, working with the Executive Board to support professional development and advocacy efforts in the northwest suburbs. For over 20 years, she has been mentoring and presenting seminars for Early Childhood Educators. Carrie received her Bachelor of Science degree in Management from National Louis University and is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Carrie lives in Hoffman Estates with her husband and two sons. She enjoys all things nature related and is an artist who dabbles in watercolors.
Contact Ilinca Wallace
Please fill out the form below to contact Ilinca. Your message will go directly to her inbox. You may also reach her at (309) 393-2546.
Región 1-B-D
Condado de Cook (Norte)
Informes de la Región 1-B-D
La Evaluación de necesidades regionales de la primera infancia destaca datos e historias de miembros de la comunidad en toda la región e incluye fortalezas, necesidades identificadas por la familia y la comunidad, y recomendaciones sobre cómo hacer que nuestros servicios locales de educación y atención de la primera infancia (ECEC) sean más accesibles y equitativos.
La Adenda incluyen comentarios adicionales de la comunidad capturados cuando nuestro Equipo Regional y los Comités de Acción y Familiar compartieron las conclusiones de nuestro informe inicial en toda la región.
El Plan de acción es un documento comunitario vivo que se centra en las principales prioridades de la evaluación inicial de necesidades de ECEC de nuestra región. Los miembros del consejo desarrollaron metas específicas, mensurables, alcanzables, relevantes y con plazos determinados (SMART) para cada recomendación y planes y cronogramas para cumplirlas.
Evaluación de necesidades de la primera infancia: enfoque en la salud mental y conductual presenta historias de familias y proveedores de ECEC sobre los desafíos y éxitos que tienen al acceder a los servicios de salud mental y conductual.
La NUEVA Adenda de Salud Mental y Conductual incluye nueva información sobre los recursos disponibles de Salud Mental y Conductual compartidos por cuidadores, profesionales de la Primera Infancia y miembros de la comunidad tras la publicación de nuestro informe inicial.
Enlaces
Miembros del Comité Familiar
Allyson Stefani, Palatine (Cook County)
Elizabeth Halim, Hanover Park (Cook County)
Fareen Vora, Schaumburg (Cook County)
Jessamyn Kryska, Arlington Heights (Cook County)
Laura Colic, Schaumburg (Cook County)
Najma Nishat, Palatine (Cook County)
Rocio Rodriguez Flores, Lincolnwood (Cook County)
Roma Rizvi, Palatine (Cook County)
Sharmishtha Goel, Park Ridge (Cook County)
Thu Pham, Hoffman Estates (Cook County)
Yazmin Baker, Hanover Park (Cook County)
Yazmin Tejeda, Palatine (Cook County)
Miembros del Comité de Acción
Abby Alpert, Childcare Network of Evanston, Family Support Specialist
Agnieszka Moroni, TOTS Therapeutic Child Care Center, NFP, Founder & Director
Amy Cocorikis, CARE Consulting, Developmental Pediatric Consultant & Director
Aremi Arroyo, Partners for Our Communities, Case Manager
Bettye Cohns, Oakton Community College, Adjunct Instructor
Chris Tokarski, Illinois Action for Children, Vice President of Family and Provider Resources
Clare Giuffrida, Early Intervention, Occupational Therapist
Jacqueline Mendoza, Evanston Cradle to Career, Community Engagement Specialist
Katie Kretzmann, Illinois Action for Children, Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant
Kerry Bauer, City of Evanston Parks and Recreation, Early Childhood Operations Supervisor
Kimberly Bianchini, Advance Preschool, Owner & Director
Kristen Ford, Early Childhood Developmental Enrichment Center (ECDEC), ECDEC/FIND Project Director
Maureen Hallagan, Marillac St. Vincent Family Services, Chief of External Affairs
Michele Ramsey, CCSD #59 Early Learning Center, Principal
Monica Ruzicka-Stout, Child Advocate, Parent/Family Member Representative
Nicole Woodcox Bolden, Thriving With Baby, Thriving With Baby Owner/Clinical Therapist, LCSW
Sarah Galla, Shelter, Inc., Clinical Program Director
Tina Vanderwarker, Evanston Early Childhood Council & Niles Township Early Childhood Alliance, Executive Director & Evanston Early Childhood Council
Tracy Katz Muhl, Illinois House of Representatives, State Representative (IL-57)
Vikki Podlipni, Miss Ela's Preschool (Pani Ela's Preschool), Preschool Teacher & Speech Language Pathology Assistant
Yesenia Rubio, Child Advocate, Parent/Family Member Representative
¡Conozca a tu equipo regional!
Ilinca Wallace
Ilinca Wallace (ella/la) es la Gerente del Comité Regional para la Región 1-B-D (Cook North). Ilinca ha disfrutado aprendiendo y creciendo en el ámbito de la educación de la primera infancia en una variedad de entornos, incluidos programació comunitaria de Early Head Start y Head Start, organizaciones sin fines de lucro y, más recientemente, como consultora de práctica de la primera infancia.
Ilinca emigró a los EE. UU. desde Rumania a la edad de 11 años y habla rumano, español e inglés con fluidez. Se graduó del Instituto Erikson con una Maestría en Ciencias en Desarrollo Infantil con un enfoque en administración e infancia y de la Universidad National Louis con un Doctorado en Psicología Comunitaria. Ilinca disfruta pasar su tiempo al aire libre con su esposo, Chad, sus tres hijas, Alina, Elizabeth, Gwendolyn y su perra, Maya.
Irene Di Minervino
Irene Di Minervino (ella/la) es la Especialista en Participación Familiar y Comunitaria de la Región 1-B-D (Cook Norte). Irene se ha desempeñado en el campo de la Primera Infancia por más de 18 años, en los que ha trabajado junto con pediatras, proveedores de cuidado de niños, profesionales en intervención temprana, padres, cuidadores y otros actores. Tras haber tomado clases de Desarrollo Infantil en Knox College, su pasión por la Primera Infancia creció de manera exponencial. Su experiencia la ha llevado siempre a trabajar con y en nombre de padres y cuidadores de niños pequeños. Le apasiona ayudar a los padres a defenderse a sí mismos y a sus familias.
Irene emigró a los Estados Unidos desde Bielorrusia a la edad de ocho años, y es bilingüe en ruso e inglés. Se graduó del Instituto Erikson con una Maestría en Ciencias para el Desarrollo Infantil, especializándose en infancia y administración. Irene vive con su esposo, Luca, y dos niños pequeños, Nolan y Aiden, en un barrio periférico al noroeste de la ciudad de Chicago. En su tiempo libre le gusta hacer tarjetas y crear álbumes de recortes.
Carrie Rafalski
Carrie Rafalski (ella/la) es el Asistente Administrativo de la Región 1-B-D (Cook Norte). Ha trabajado en el campo de la Educación de la primera infancia durante más de 30 años en diversos puestos que van desde la administración hasta la enseñanza. Carrie ha sido un miembro activo de la Asociación Golden Corridor para la Educación de Niños Pequeños (GoAEYC) durante 29 años, trabajando con la Junta Ejecutiva para apoyar el desarrollo profesional y los esfuerzos de promoción en los suburbios del noroeste. Durante más de 20 años, ha sido tutora y ha presentado seminarios para educadores de la primera infancia. Carrie se licenció en Administración en la universidad de National Louis y es miembro de la Asociación Nacional para la Educación de Niños Pequeño (NAEYC).
Carrie vive en Hoffman Estates con su esposo y sus dos hijos. Ella disfruta de todo lo relacionado con la naturaleza y es una artista que incursiona en acuarelas.
Contacta a Ilinca Wallace
Por favor, complete el siguiente formulario para ponerse en contacto con Ilinca. Su mensaje irá directamente a su buzón de correo electrónico. También puede comunicarse con ella al (309) 393-2546.