ROE 13 Eyes Funding for Pre-K Programs

April 6, 2025

Original coverage in the Mt Vernon Sentinel.

Regional Office of Education 13 has secured a new subcontract with Birth to Five Illinois to continue funding important early childhood programs in this region.

ROE 13 provides regulatory services for schools in the counties of Jefferson, Clinton, Marion and Washington. The subcontract with Birth to Five Illinois, which is in the amount of $52,700, will provide funds for ROE’s pre-K program. The subcontract is part of an additional $3,075,000 that Birth to Five Illinois has awarded across the state to support both existing and new “Local Early Childhood Collaborations,” states a Birth to Five Illinois news release.

Jill Wardlow, director of pre-K programs for ROE 13, said that the ROE had to choose three specific goals for the funding in order to receive the subcontract.

“They (the goals) are to host more community events for the early childhood population and their families, to continue hosting our monthly screenings and to make those more accessible to the community, expanding accessibility to locations, such as the library for example, (and) continuing our work with ‘IRIS,’ which is our coordinated intake system,” Wardlow said, adding of IRIS, “And that’s where we will be working with other community organizations to make sure (that) families have access to the resources that they need.”

One of the ROE 13’s community events for the early childhood population is coming up at 4 p.m. on April 29. ROE 13 is partnering with University of Illinois Extension/Illinois Ag in the Classroom to offer hands-on activities at the Mount Vernon Community Garden at Veterans Park. 

“(It’s) for young learners to understand what is essential for plant growth and how to nurture them,” said ROE 13 Senior Director Melanie Andrews. She later added, “I would just encourage community members to look for other activities like this because they will be ongoing.”

In this round of funding, Birth to Five Illinois awarded $3 million in subcontracts to 40 established Local Early Childhood Collaborations. This is to complete activities such as distributing newborn kits, coordinating developmental screening events with community partners and facilitating opportunities for caregiver-led outreach strategies, the news release states. The funding in question was made possible by the Illinois State Board of Education. For some subcontract recipients, this is the third year of financial support from the Birth to Five organization.

“We strongly believe (that) providing sustained funding for local groups already working to improve early childhood systems and services will positively impact the communities involved, and by extension the entire state,” said Cicely Fleming, director for Birth to Five Illinois.

In addition to the subcontracts for established collaborations, Birth to Five Illinois also recently awarded six $12,500 planning grants to groups working on creating new Local Early Childhood Collaborations, the release states.

“Our role is to shine a light on the incredible work being done in every corner of Illinois to make this the best place in the nation to raise young children,” said Angela Hubbard, Birth to Five Illinois’ grants and relationship manager. “Through our grants and subcontracts, we aim to show that local investment results in strengthened community commitment and innovative solutions to challenges.”

For more information on Regional Office of Education 13, visit the ROE #13 Early Childhood Collaboration Facebook page.