Alignment. Quality. Access.
OECD leads the state's initiatives to create an integrated system of quality early learning and development programs to help give all Illinois children a strong educational foundation before they begin kindergarten.
Learn more.
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Early Learning Council Executive Committee Meeting
October 11 |
Mixed Delivery Systems Ad Hoc Committee Meeting
October 15 |
Home Visiting Task Force Meeting
October 18 |
ExceleRate Subcommittee Meeting
October 23 |
Data, Research & Evaluation (DRE) Subcommittee Meeting
November 14 |
Mixed Delivery Systems Ad Hoc Committee Meeting
November 15 |
ExceleRate Subcommittee Meeting
November 19 |
Full Early Learning Council Meeting
November 20 |
Health Subcommittee Meeting
November 27 |
Inclusion Subcommittee Meeting
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Greetings Early Childhood Community,
This month we've had several exciting developments at GOECD. First, I'd like to congratulate GOECD staff members Julia Zhu, our Community Systems Policy Director, and Lesley Schwartz, our MIECHV Project Director, for being selected to the 2018 class of Erikson Institute's Barbara Bowman Leadership Fellows program. We're excited to learn about the insights they gain through the fellowship.
We also welcome Carisa Hurley, the new Director of Early Childhood at the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Ms. Hurley comes to ISBE with experience as a program director at One Hope United, as well as previous work at CEDA of Lake County and Children's Home and Aid. Carisa also led ECE programs in the Harvey School District and at Children's House and is a recent graduate of the Erikson Institute's Barbara Bowman Leadership Fellows program. Carisa's commitment to equity and supporting the needs of every child align well with the values and vision of ISBE.
Our office has also released a new resource, a Suspension and Expulsion resource page, and we are pleased to share with you MIECHV's Fifth Annual Benchmark and Outcome Technical Report. You can find links and more information on these resources, as well as several others, below.
And again, I ask you not to forget that still, after all these months, there are hundreds of children who were separated from their parents at the border and are still in detention in facilities across the country. These children continue to experience the trauma of their separation and restricted living conditions.
Thank you for your dedication to supporting our children and families, and I look forward to continuing to work with you!
Best Regards,
Cynthia L. Tate, Ph.D.
Executive Director, GOECD
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GOECD Welcomes ISBE's New Director of Early Childhood
Carisa Hurley began her work as the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Director of Early Childhood on September 4. The GOECD team is excited to welcome and congratulate Carisa!
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GOECD Staff Selected for Erikson's Leadership Program
Two members of the GOECD team, Julia Zhu and Lesley Schwartz, were selected to join the 2018 class of Erikson Institute's Barbara Bowman Leadership Fellows (BBLF). Julia is the Community Systems Policy Director at GOECD, and Lesley is the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHVP) Project Director. The BBLF program gives fellows, all of whom are professionals in the early childhood sector, the opportunity to increase their understanding of public policy in relation to early childhood. The 10-month program offers fellows tools for understanding how to best influence change, hands-on practice, monthly seminars, and access to leaders and experts in the field. Congratulations to Julia and Lesley on this opportunity!
See the announcement of 2018 fellows here
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Dr. Tate Presents at Erikson Institute's McCormick Foundation Executive Fellows Program
GOECD Executive Director Dr. Cynthia Tate presented September 20
to Erikson Institute's McCormick Foundation Executive Fellows (MFEF). The MFEF program brings together key decision makers, including top educators, judges, and state representatives, to educate them about the benefits of investing in early childhood development and encourage them to influence policy.
Learn more about the MFEF program and the 21 members of the 2018 MFEF class. Dr. Tate's presentation to the fellows, titled "Early Childhood Systems Building and Coordination," highlighted state funding streams that currently contribute to early care and education, the importance of systems alignment, and how Illinois has addressed systems building and coordination.
View the full presentation here.
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New Suspension and Expulsion Resource Page
In 2017, Illinois passed Public Act 100-0105, which prevents licensed child care centers, homes, and group homes, as well as programs receiving Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG) funds, from expelling children 0-5 due to child behavior. GOECD has launched a webpage where parents and families; providers and programs; trainers, coaches, and teachers; and states can access a number of early childhood suspension and expulsion resources from a variety of local and national organizations. Click here to visit the resource page.
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MIECHV 5th Annual Benchmark and Outcome Technical Report 
Illinois Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program administered through the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development (GOECD) completed the fifth full year of implementation in late 2017. MIECHV is one of several home visiting (HV) funding streams in Illinois and has been federally funded by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) since 2011. The MIECHV program provides free, voluntary, home-based services to at-risk pregnant woman and families. In its last completed program year (October 2016-September 2017), MIECHV provided services to 1,100 families, including almost 400 pregnant women and 1,088 children in 13 high-need communities throughout Illinois. The MIECHV at-risk communities were identified through a needs assessment and have high concentrations of risk and negative child outcomes due to factors such as: rural isolation; poverty; premature birth; low birthweight infants; infant mortality, particularly early death due to child maltreatment; domestic violence; high rates of school dropouts; substance abuse; unemployment; and child maltreatment. The comprehensive results are presented in the
MIECHV 5th Annual Benchmark and Outcome Technical Report.
See the summary document, which provides an overview of highlights, successes and challenges of the 2016-2017 (October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017) implementation by providing the key characteristics of the MIECHV communities, participants, and the impact of the HV services on process and performance outcomes.
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Supporting Families Affected by Opioids and Other Substance Use Disorders Through IECMHC
Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants (IECMHC) can play an important role in supporting families affected by opioids and other substance use. Click on the links below to learn more about their role and how the misuse of substances (including opioids) impacts the development of babies and young children and how it interferes with the relationships that are vital to their early development. Presenters include Ira Chasnoff from NTI Upstream, Lesley Schwartz from the IL Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development, and Linda Delimata from the Center of Excellence. The video presents highlights from the webinar presented on June 28, 2018.
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Head Start Parent, Family and Community Engagement Framework 2nd Edition Released
Changes to the Framework include:
- Child Outcomes - this now includes school readiness and other dimensions of children's health and development.
- Program Impact Areas - Access and Continuity has been added as a new Program Impact Area.
- Program Foundations - the new Framework has more clearly defined terms, such as, family and community engagement, systemic, and integrated, among others.
- Equity, Inclusiveness, Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness, while embedded in the previous Framework, in the new edition their importance is highlighted in relation to family engagement. An additional arrow has been added to the Framework graphic to highlight the elements.
- There is no change to the Family Outcomes.
Parent and family engagement in Head Start/Early Head Start is about building relationships with families that support family well-being, strong relationships between parents and their children, and ongoing learning and development for both parents and children.
The Head Start PFCE Framework can be used in program-wide strategic planning, program design and management, continuous learning and improvement activities, and professional development for staff, as well as with governing bodies and parent groups.
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Opportunity for ECE Professionals at Teach Plus
Attention all ECE professionals: Are you interested in learning more about education policy? Advocating for the needs of your children and families? Are you looking for a unique leadership opportunity? Teach Plus is now accepting applications for their Early Childhood Educator Fellowship. Fellows will receive a stipend of $1,600 while learning about and getting engaged in ECE policy discussions. Applications are due Oct. 28. Learn more and apply today!
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Opportunity to Present at 22nd Annual Infant Toddler Conference
The 22nd Annual Infant Toddler Conference at Oakton Community College has posted a request for presentation proposals. The conference will take place on March 2, 2019, and this year's theme is "The Lasting Impact of Early Connections: Recognizing the Value of Your Work with Children, Families, and the Profession." Proposals for presentations or workshops are due October 31, 2018. More information may be found in the application here.
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Save the Date: Statewide Day Care Licensing Forums
From October 15-19th, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is hosting multiple Day Care Forums at various locations throughout the state of Illinois. The forums are an opportunity to hear about day care licensing updates, policies and procedures, and other helpful information. Click here to view the Save the Date. Check the DCFS Sunshine website for specific dates and locations.
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