The Collaborator
NEWS & UPDATES
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EPEL Partners,
We have 18,365 children birth to five in our communities. The last two years have highlighted system issues that have bubbled up, but this has been a challenge for families and providers for many years before COVID. We interviewed families and providers who have a reoccurring theme: the need for accessible, affordable child care, while providers are desperate for high-quality staff.
Based on the federal poverty level of 18,365 children, there is a significant gap in state and federal early care slots. 2,637 of our birth to two-year-old children qualify for state and federal programs, but only 290 are being served, leaving a gap of 2,347. 2,868 preschool-age children qualify for care, and there is a gap in slots of 1,417. Our young children need access to care and engagement to build their brains and prepare them for school. Please join EPEL and partners in recommitting to this engagement and celebrating our future leaders.
April 2-9, is Week of the Young Child®, an annual celebration to focus public attention on young children, family needs and recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.
Community, our children and families need YOU! You are change-makers, and Week of the Young Child® is a time to celebrate our outstanding young learners and step on the gas to accelerate the recommitment of our collective efforts! Please join EPEL's community partners in celebrations and commitments below.
Together We Can,
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Amber Peters
Executive Director
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To celebrate the young children and families in our communities, community partners have planned special events of engagement in Bartlett, Elgin, Hanover Park, South Elgin, and Streamwood for the week of April 2-9th. Check out the activities on the EPEL website, or scan the QR Code and share with others. www.elginpartnership.org
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BIRTH TO FIVE ILLINOIS UPDATES |
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A considerable investment is being made to redesign the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) system with families at the center. The Birth to Five Illinois Conversation continues from the kick-off last month. If you listened to the kick-off, you might have had questions. Those questions are being answered on the Birth to Give IL Website here. You may register or tune in here for the next Kane County B-5 team conversation for March 31st at 6:00 pm via Zoom. This meeting will allow for live Q and A.
Kane County B-5 is standing up two councils below. Let's ensure that our communities have a strong representation and voice. Please help us make sure there are no barriers for families to participate. If you have a family who needs support in filling out the interest form, don't hesitate to contact EPEL here.
Translation will be available. Please share with your families.
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EARLY CHILDHOOD PROCLAMATION |
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EPEL is visiting Bartlett, Elgin, Hanover Park, South Elgin, and Streamwood council and village meetings to hear an Early Childhood Proclamation read to kick-off the Week of the Young Child®.
The proclamation is not only an announcement but also a call to action to recommit to our youngest learners so all children have the same opportunities to come to school Happy, Healthy, and Ready for Kindergarten.
Thank you, Village of Streamwood, for welcoming EPEL last week. EPEL looks forward to visiting the other communities in the next couple of weeks.
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MEETING FAMILIES WHERE THEY ARE |
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Meeting families in neighborhoods, laundromats, mobile food pantries or the community offers opportunities to access resources and materials. Our family engagement specialists build relationships and support families in a variety of ways. We are appreciative of our partner, YWCA Elgin, for growing amazing family engagement teachers that help EPEL in family and community outreach.
It Takes a VILLAGE!
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Supporting families at Blue Kangaroo Laundromat
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Distributing Getting Ready for Kindergarten calendars at a mobile event. |
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Sharing with a mom that just moved to the country about ESL classes. |
Getting new books into caregivers' hands offers access to reading. Mom reading to her child in line at the mobile food pantry after she received books. |
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Inviting a young learner to come read and have fun with the teachers.
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Supporting families with diapers, new gloves and hats thanks to We Can Lead Change-Fox Valley for the donation.
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WE'RE GROWING
LEARNING ON THE GO SUMMER 2022
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GAIL BORDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY |
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POPLAR CREEK PUBLIC LIBRARY |
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EPEL and partners are busy planning Learning On the Go for Summer 2022. For the past two summers, we visited four neighborhoods in Elgin and one in Streamwood and are excited to be growing by one neighborhood in each community for a total of seven in 2022! Children will receive box lunches, new books, mobile library services, and lots of family engagement to provide Awareness, Access, and Impact!
More details coming soon~
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THANK YOU KIWANIS OF ELGIN |
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Thank you, Kiwanis of Elgin, for making EPEL part of your 101st Anniversary celebration of serving children and families. Your special gift purchased two new bookcases for laundromat programs to offer greater access to books for children and families. The bookcases have helped update the areas and make the early learning spaces more inviting.
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Blue Kangaroo Laundromat
464 Summit Street
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JetXpress Laundromat
425 Dundee Avenue
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Did you know that there are four StoryWalks available for check out for indoor or outdoor events?
Lord's Park Elementary Kindergarten teacher, Denisa Stroe, borrowed the story, From Head to Toe, to engage students for a family literacy night. Ms. Stroe reported all 18 children attended with two parents each and siblings. The children practiced their reading skills and followed up with fun skill-building activities that got the families involved.
During the Week of the Young Child, the Centre of Elgin is hosting two StoryWalks, so make sure you stop by and check them out with your children.
There will be two StoryWalks along the riverwalk at Festival Park on Saturday, April 2nd, for families to enjoy.
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ADD EPEL TO YOUR IPHONE HOME SCREEN FOR EASY ACCESS TO RESOURCES |
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Getting Ready for Kindergarten
Family Activities Calendar
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Thank you to our March calendar sponsor Everything Clean Laundromat owned by Brian and Donna Harrington. Pick up extra copies at the laundromat at 145 S. Randall Rd.
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EPEL's vision is, All Our Children are Happy, Healthy, and Ready for Kindergarten. The first five years of life are critical to a child's future success. EPEL collaborates with partners to assure developmental screenings and preventative care are available for healthy development, so children's needs are met.
The CDC has updated milestones that children should reach to thrive. Click the links below to check out the CDC Milestone Tracker and Vroom Brain Building App, both FREE for families to download in English and Spanish. To access the websites and learn more see the links below.
EPEL partner, My Recess Therapy, is offering FREE developmental in-person screenings for children for the Week of the Young Child®. Go to the EPEL website for more information.
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EPEL Elgin Partnership for Early Learning
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