Senator Dale Fowler joins Birth to Five Illinois: Region 21 as part of the commencement of Dolly Parton's "Imagination Library" free book program in Southern Illinois.

Congratulations to Tonya Frehner, Birth to Five Illinois: Region 21 Council Manager, and seven current or former Birth to Five Illinois Council members for being selected as members of the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Transition Advisory Committee to advise the State on the creation of a unified ECEC agency.

During the Public Participation section of the September 20, 2023 Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) meeting, numerous staff members, community partners, and school officials spoke on Birth to Five Illinois supports and funding.

This equity-driven statewide regional system is comprised of staff and local councils that will amplify family, provider and community voices in the state policy-making process and give local and state leaders a more accurate understanding of the early childhood gaps in each region.

"It is our goal to make sure racism no longer plays a part in child success so we want to remove those barriers and harness information directly from families and providers as we move forward…”

[Longueville] stressed that to understand what families need is helped by including parents in the councils and their planning. They need to have more feedback…