Alignment. Quality. Access.
GOECD 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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April 6 |
Executive Committee Meeting
April 7 |
Home Visiting Task Force Executive Committee Meeting
April 15 |
Data, Research, & Evaluation (DRE) Subcommittee Meeting
April 16 |
Family Engagement
Implementation (FEIS) Subcommittee Meeting
April 21 |
Quality Committee Meeting
April 21 |
Health Subcommittee Meeting
April 28 |
Home Visiting Task Force Meeting
April 30 |
Inclusion Subcommittee Meeting
May
6 |
Integration & Alignment (IAC) Committee Meeting
May 12 |
All Families Served Subcommittee Meeting
May 13 |
Family Engagement
Implementation (FEIS) Subcommittee Meeting
May 14 |
Community Systems Development (CSD) Subcommittee Meeting
May 21
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ExceleRate Subcommittee Meeting
May 27
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Access Committee Meeting
June 1 |
Executive Committee Meeting
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I am honored to assume the position of Acting Executive Director of the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development (GOECD). The GOECD staff is grateful for the leadership of Dr. Cynthia Tate and wish her all the best in her next chapter. I assume this position at an unprecedented time as we are faced with the outbreak of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The last few weeks have been challenging as we navigate responses to the COVID-19 State of Emergency. The steadfast leadership of Governor JB Pritzker is deeply appreciated during this difficult time. We have received an overwhelming response from our early childhood care and education community as child care options are being established for our essential workers in the state of Illinois. We are deeply grateful for your support of Illinois' families.
The GOECD staff is committed to providing current and accurate information and resources. Two COVID-19 pages have been established on the GOECD website (see below). We update our COVID-19 pages as new guidance, information, and resources become available. If you have questions about child care-related responses to COVID-19, submit them to
GOV.OECD@illinois.gov. You may find the answer to your questions in our
Emergency Child Care FAQs, which are posted on the GOECD website. We also encourage you to visit o
ur state COVID-19 response site, coronavirus.illinois.gov.
We appreciate your efforts and dedication as we navigate an uncertain and evolving situation. As a community, let us be informed, follow the guidance, and take all precautions to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Each of us have a responsibility to comply with the restrictions. Yes, our normal routines have been disrupted, however, during these times of self-quarantine, working remotely, and social distancing, let us not forget to offer words of gratitude, encouragement, or a smile. Each of us could use it in the days and weeks ahead.
Please know that you will continue to receive communication from GOECD, our state partners, advocacy organizations, among others to provide support as we navigate rapidly changing circumstances. We have come together during extraordinary times and the spirit of collaboration and coordination is gratifying. Please stay safe and healthy and remember,
We're in this together.
Dr. Jamilah R. Jor'dan
Acting Executive Director
Illinois Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development
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The COVID-19: Emergency Child Care for Communities & Providers webpage
was designed to provide information and resources on emergency child care for child care providers, essential workers, and volunteers who want to offer support. This page also contains a listing of important resources for child care providers that will be updated regularly with guidance, frequently asked questions, and other materials.
The COVID-19 for Early Childhood web page
contains links to important, general COVID-19 resources; resources for families with young children; and a list of early childhood events cancelled due to COVID-19. For early care and education providers, there is also a dated list of updates from Illinois state agencies, as well as resources for Head Start/Early Head Start programs.
Both of these pages will be updated as information and resources become available; please visit and revisit often.
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Early in her career, Helen worked for many years in direct service in family literacy programs. In this capacity, she learned about the incredible importance of the parent-child relationship and the significance of the parent's role as their child's first and most important teacher.
Helen has worked in program evaluation in many areas including evaluating family literacy programs, center-based child care, and home visiting programs. This varied background in program evaluation and monitoring includes coordinating and conducting program site visits, interviewing staff and participants, scoring evaluation tools, reviewing data, observing classrooms and services, reviewing files, writing reports as well as providing feedback to programs. Helen also has experience in project management and training. Helen holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Denver and a Master's degree in Early Childhood Development from the Erikson Institute in Chicago.
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ISBE is Seeking Nominations for Top Teacher Awards
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is seeking nominations for Illinois' top teacher awards. ISBE's Teacher of the Year and Those Who Excel award programs honor teachers, teams, administrators, community volunteers, and support personnel who have made significant contributions to Illinois' students. Any person or organization may submit nominations.
ISBE is currently seeking nominations for the following awards:
- 2021 Illinois Teacher of the Year (public and nonpublic school teachers with five or more years of experience)
- Regional Teachers of the Year
- Bilingual Teacher of the Year
- Early Childhood Teacher of the Year
- Special Education Teacher of the Year
- Outstanding Early Career Educator (teachers with one to four years of experience)
- Those Who Excel Administrator Award
- Those Who Excel Team Award
- Those Who Excel Community Volunteer Award
- Those Who Excel Student Support Personnel Award (school nurse, psychologist, social worker, school counselor, or speech/language therapist)
- Those Who Excel Educational Service Personnel Award (aides/paraprofessionals, cafeteria workers, custodians, administrative assistants, bus drivers, resource officers)
Nominations close on June 5, 2020. Learn more about the Teacher of the Year and Those Who Excel program requirements here. ISBE is aiming for a record number of nominations this year with a new streamlined online nomination portal.
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McCormick Foundation Executive Fellows Nominations Extended
In response to COVID-19, the deadline to nominate a leader for the 2020 cohort of the McCormick Foundation Executive Fellows (MFEF) program has been extended. Candidates must be available to attend sessions August 5-7, 2020 and September 23-25, 2020.
To nominate, please complete the online form
and include the candidate's resume or CV by Friday, May 8, 2020.
The fellowship program is designed for elected officials such as legislators, city and county government officials, judges and state's attorneys, and school board members as well as senior leaders of state agencies, school district superintendents, and law enforcement officials. The program also seeks to engage leaders from the health and media sectors.
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Illinois Prenatal to Three (PN3) Policy Agenda
GOECD is pleased to share the
Illinois Prenatal to Three Policy Agenda
, built by a coalition of over 100 stakeholders statewide, is now available. Efforts are underway to advance this Agenda that is projected to impact over 100,000 infants and toddlers and their families by 2025, particularly those furthest from opportunity. Implementation of this Agenda will go a long way in achieving this Administration's commitment to making Illinois the best state in the nation for families raising young children. If you have any questions, want more information, or want to get involved in the statewide effort, please email
advocacy@theounce.org
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New Resource: Illinois Prenatal to Five Program Reference Guide
In its third iteration, the Program Inventory Reference Guide is a cross-systems resource for early childhood stakeholders and communities in Illinois. The purpose of the Guide is to equip early childhood community collaborations and stakeholders with accurate, up-to-date information on all state early childhood systems and programs relevant to the birth-to-five population. These include programs in the Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Department of Human Services, Department of Public Health, State Board of Education, and US Department of Health and Human Services, as well as statewide initiatives. The Guide is published by Community Systems Statewide Supports (CS3) at Illinois Action for Children.
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New Release: Home Visiting Career Trajectories Final Report
A stable and well-trained workforce is a critical component of effective home visiting program implementation. To support MIECHV awardees, local programs, and home visiting model developers to recruit, train, and retain qualified staff, the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), in collaboration with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), contracted with the Urban Institute to conduct a mixed methods study on the early childhood home visiting workforce.
Researchers found that home visitors care deeply about working with families, but low-pay, narrow paths for advancement and on-the-job stress make it challenging for home visitors to remain in their job. One-third of program managers report one or more current home visitor vacancies.
Researchers recommend strategies for recruiting and retaining top home visitors, including:
- Investing in strategic recruitment efforts,
- Creating professional development systems,
- Initiating regular team building and reflective supervision, and
- Creating opportunities for leadership and advancement.
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Searching for Child Care: Stories of Cook County Mothers
Illinois Action for Children recently released a report titled Searching for Child Care: Stories of Cook County Mothers that chronicles the experiences and challenges of finding child care in the greater Chicagoland area. In addition to annual child care data from across Cook County, stories from parents help to illuminate the current state of the child care market. This powerful report follows Cook County mothers on their search for child care, with special attention to their needs, challenges, and the compromises they ultimately had to make.
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Home Visiting: A Vital Part of Illinois' Comprehensive Early Childhood "Prevention" System
Earlier this year Lesley Schwartz, LCSW, Project Director, Illinois Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program, presented at the closing plenary session at the 2020
National Home Visiting Summit in Washington, DC.
During the presentation, "The Role of Home Visiting in Building Comprehensive Early Childhood Prevention Systems to Promote Population-Based Outcomes" Ms. Schwartz discussed her vision for integrated state-level prevention strategies and systems that provide seamless, accessible services. She shared examples of how Illinois is using state, federal, and private prevention funding to build coordinated systems of care, and how Illinois home visiting programs are breaking down silos within their agencies and overcoming challenges to build a culture of prevention.
"Integrated prevention systems that provide parents and children with a broad array of services across health, early care and learning, and social and economic supports can be force multipliers, strengthening families and promoting opportunities for them to thrive," stated Schwartz.
Faculty during this session highlighted the "old adage that children are our future remains as true today as ever before." Schwartz and other faculty emphasized that national economic security depends on the well-being and success of today's children, yet far too many are born into poverty or experience other risk factors that make them susceptible to poor health, education and economic circumstances - outcomes that can be prevented or ameliorated with prevention programs and services.
The National Home Visiting Summit, hosted by the Ounce of Prevention Fund, brings together systems leaders, practitioners, advocates and decision makers in a collaborative pursuit to advance the home visiting field and systems of care to increase service quality and improve outcomes.
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Message from the Illinois State Pyramid Model Initiative
Congratulations to those selected for the 2nd cohort of the Pyramid Model Master Cadre! Thirteen individuals have been selected in January 2020 through an application process to be part of Illinois' Pyramid Model statewide initiative. The priority of this Master Cadre is to support ISBE PFA programs across the state.
The Master Cadre can offer training, technical assistance and coaching support to leadership teams who have applied to be a Pyramid Model Implementation site. By using the Pyramid Model framework, programs will become confident in their social emotional practices, reduce challenging behaviors, reduce suspensions, and eliminate expulsions.
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