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Newsletter
November 2020
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Greetings Early Childhood Community,
I hope everyone continues to be well. I am honored to welcome three new members to the GOECD Team! GOECD welcomes Christine Brambila, Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Coordinator; Rubab Anwar, Communication and Dissemination Coordinator; and Laverne Head, Executive Assistant.
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Christine Brambila
Christine Brambila began her non-profit career in direct service working with unaccompanied children. After that, she began working with parenting youth in care where she first learned about the impact of inter-generational trauma on life-long development. Through the Illinois Early Childhood Fellowship and at the Latino Policy Forum, Christine learned how data can illuminate public policy and advocacy opportunities to promote equity throughout the State. Learning that the Safe Baby Court team part of the national model with ZERO TO THREE was coming to Illinois as the Illinois Early Childhood Court Team, she was hired as a Community Practice Coordinator. Her role utilized coaching, facilitation, and clinical information to promote family-centered and trauma-informed decision making in child welfare and juvenile court in Cook County. Christine is eager to build upon efforts to streamline Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation across child-serving agencies in Illinois. She has served as the secretary of the corporate board of the Carole Robertson Center for Learning since 2013. Christine has also served on the board of the Illinois Association for Infant Mental Health since 2016. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Franklin and Marshall College, and her Master’s from University of Chicago’s School for Social Service Administration.
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Rubab Anwar
A recent graduate from DePaul University, Rubab Anwar is excited to join the GOECD as the Communication and Dissemination Coordinator. Influenced by her mother’s own journey in early childhood care, she wanted to be a part of the great reward in serving those that are the foundation for the next generation. Rubab has previously worked on the Rewards Marketing Team at Schneider Electric along with running her own non-profit organization specifically catering to women.
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Laverne A. Head
Laverne is joining GOECD as the Executive Assistant. Laverne started her career in 2000 with the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. She transitioned to Family Child Care in 2012 to provide high-quality, affordable care and educational services that would enhance and enrich the lives of young children. Laverne owned and operated Our Leaders of Tomorrow until November 2020. She earned her Associate’s in Child Development and her Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Small Business Management. She recently earned her Master’s in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Leadership and Advocacy from Erikson Institute. Laverne is a dedicated professional who is committed to improving the lives of young children.
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Jamilah R. Jor'dan, PhD
Executive Director
Illinois Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development (GOECD)
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Exciting News: GOECD is Currently Supporting Gateways to Opportunity® Credential Fee Waivers through the Use of PDG B-5 Funds
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Since June of 2020, over 3,000 individuals have taken advantage of this credential fee waiver opportunity, and you can, too! Please share this information with your colleagues, child care programs, family child care providers, and family workers, as there is still time to apply! Next steps: Apply directly online in your Registry (or email your application to [email protected] if you prefer) and send official transcripts to [email protected] if they are not already on file. That's it! Two simple steps to apply for your Gateways to Opportunity ECE, Infant Toddler, Illinois Director, Family Specialist, Technical Assistance, or Family Child Care Credential! Apply today!
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Well Child Visits - An Essential Part of a Child’s Care
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This year has brought so many challenges, including a decrease in the number of child well-visits. Well-visits are a chance for parents to speak with their child's health care provider about any concerns and to learn more about their child's development and health. If parents have concerns about visiting their child's pediatrician, encourage them to give them a call! The pediatrician will discuss with parents how they are keeping children and families safe when visiting the office for well-visits.
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COVID-19 Resources
GOECD and our State agency partners have launched a messaging campaign to arm child care providers, staff, and parents with timely and useful safety reminders, current and emerging public health data, and suggestions for how to prepare for the upcoming holidays as the pandemic persists. Child care providers and staff have been doing an amazing job at keeping our children and families healthy. This campaign aims to remind us all to stay strong and keep going!
Continue to wear a mask. Watch your distance. Wash your hands.
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Click below to access COVID-19 Resources for:
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Featured Resources
Behavior Wheels - Resources to Help Parents and Caregivers
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Easy-to-use, interactive, and double-sided with both English and Español; empower the parents and caregivers in your programs with the "Behavior Has Meaning" wheel to effectively manage challenging behavior.
These easy-to-use wheels have been helping parents and child care providers learn to manage challenging behavior effectively for more than a decade. Some of these behaviors the wheels address include:
- Biting
- Tantrums
- Inconsolable Crying
- Separation Anxiety
- Social Withdrawal
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Early Childhood-Focused Homelessness Resources
In the season of giving thanks and showing gratitude, let's remember those who are experiencing homelessness. Under the initial PDG B-5 grant, GOECD collaborated with the Illinois Early Learning Project at U of I to create a collection of homelessness resources for providers and families. The webpage contains various tip sheets, toolkits, and podcasts detailing topics such as the rights of families experiencing homelessness, food and nutrition, and family well-being. The focus of the toolkits are statewide, publicly available resources to assist both families with young children experiencing homelessness, as well as their early childhood providers. Several relevant podcasts are also available, detailing the impact of trauma on young children and the role of family voice in early childhood programs.
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Learn the Signs. Act Early.
Learn the Signs. Act Early. (LTSAE) is an evidence-informed program developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that aims to improve early identification of developmental delays and disabilities, including autism, by increasing parent-engaged developmental monitoring so children and their families can get the early services and supports they need.
The LTSAE website is equipped with tools and resources to help identify and address developmental concerns earlier. Your program can take part in parent education and engagement on development by utilizing the following materials:
For questions about these Learn the Signs. Act Early. resources and how to promote them in your program, please email Illinois’ Act Early Ambassadors Cari Roestel [email protected] and/or Lori Orr [email protected].
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New Report - Closer to Home: More Equitable Pre-K Access and Enrollment in Chicago
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