Spreading the word as we strive for equity
Birth to Five Plans Early Child Care Help
“Coming together… with systems-thinking approaches to identify early childhood issues, root causes and solutions.”
PRESS RELEASE: Groundwork Completed for Statewide Early Childhood System
Council Managers Now Hired in all 39 Regions of Illinois!
States Must Step in to Give Youngest Learners the Foundation to Succeed
Many states are investing more in early care and education than ever before. Some guidelines for making that funding count…
PRESS RELEASE: Birth to Five Illinois Leadership Team Continues to Grow
Eight new Regional Council Managers will join us on June 13, 2022, following the May 2022 onboarding of 17 Managers.
Birth to Five Illinois Grants to Local Early Childhood Collaborations
The grant application will be available in June 2022. To stay informed about this and other Birth to Five Illinois news, sign up for our newsletter in English.
PRESS RELEASE: Illinois Makes Strides Building Regional Infrastructure
On May 23, 2022, 17 of the 39 Regional Council Managers will be onboarded and begin their work in each region…
Improve Early Childhood Options in Rural Illinois to Reduce Crime
"We bring forth a blueprint for a unified early education system, but we also recognize there are different needs and different solutions that need to happen…”
Register Now: Chicago Kick-Off Session
We are seeking people who passionate about early childhood education and care services to volunteer to be on our Selection Committee.
Webinars Begin This Week!
We’ve updated our FAQ page again! Data and maps for each region are also available as well as Regional Notes from each Kick-Off Event session.
Community Engagement Live Webinars
Register for our upcoming Live Webinars, read our updated Frequently Asked Questions page, and check out highlights from previous news.
Join Your Regional Action or Family Council!
We are standing up a Birth to Five Action Council and a Family Council in 39 regions across Illinois. Each Council will have around 15 members with a variety of experience.
Kick-off Follow-up, Jobs & More
In case you missed our e-newsletter, we covered Action Council Regional Manager job applications, video from kick-off events, regional data, Chicago launch info + who to reach out to with your questions.
Birth to Five Illinois is Creating Councils to Look at Services for Children
[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…
PRESS RELEASE: Illinois Pushes Forward With Improving Early Childhood Services
The Birth to Five Illinois virtual kick-off events will be held from 6-7pm on February 1, 2, and 3, 2022. There will also be a Spanish session on February 5, 2022, from 10-11am.
Ald. Fleming Leads State Initiative to Elevate Family Voice in Early Child Care Programs
“We are seeking parents, childcare providers, educators and early learning advocates to serve on our councils. They will be our link to diverse communities, giving voice to families that often are overlooked and unheard.”
Illinois wants parents, educators in the early learning conversation. Advocates say that is long overdue.
In 2022, Illinois will launch 39 regional councils to weigh in on spending in their communities. Advocates want to make sure parents are represented.
Cicely Fleming named State Director for Regional and Community Systems
As State Director for Regional and Community Systems, Cicely will lead the implementation of this ambitious plan to engage communities across the state in meeting the needs of young families.