Spreading the Word as We Strive for Equity
Scroll down to read all Birth to Five Illinois news coverage, or you can click to read the coverage from your Region.
WVL, WGFA, and STAR Radio Interviews with Liz Gibson
Listen to interviews with the Regional Council Manager for Region 32!
94.9 WDKB Radio Interview with Gretchen Sprinkle
Listen to an interview with the Family and Community Engagement Specialist for Region 16, DeKalb County!
Birth to Five Illinois amplifying family voice in Franklin, Johnson, Massac, Williamson counties
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.
Birth to Five Illinois Holds Grand Opening for Vienna Location
"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…”
PRESS RELEASE: Birth to Five Illinois Awards $2.5 Million in Implementation Grants
The Implementation Grants will reach 20 groups and 35 counties across the State.
Initiative Targets Improving Early Childhood Education, Care
“We want to make sure families and communities are at the center of our decision-making. We hope for big things.”
A New Statewide System Seeks to Improve Access and Equity around Early Childhood Education and Care
"We need to hear from everybody so we can make sure that we're partnering with you to really advocate for what you need.”
Birth to Five Illinois 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…