GOECD Has Moved!
Our New Address Is:
555 W. Monroe Street 1500N
Chicago, IL 60661-3605
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Introducing Birth to Five Illinois!
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Governor JB Pritzker established an audacious goal that "Illinois will become the best state in the nation for families raising young children.” As recommended to the Governor by the Early Childhood Funding Commission, one important step that will bring Illinois closer to achieving this goal is the establishment of regional councils across the State to lift up family, community, and provider voice. As a part of the charge of the Early Childhood Transformation Team that was created to carry forth several of the approved recommendations from the Commission report, the State has also partnered with the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA) to launch a statewide, early childhood, regional and community system, which has been named: Birth to Five Illinois.
The Birth to Five Illinois website has officially launched – www.birthtofiveil.com! You can find links/icons to our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn at the bottom of any website page. Visit the site to meet our growing team and learn more about our goal of creating Birth to Five Action Councils in each of 39 regions, built upon the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Regional Offices of Education (ROE) statewide structure but operating independently. The Birth to Five Action Councils will include parents and families, business and community leaders, early childhood educators in every early learning setting from school district officials, Head Start program administrators, child care centers to family child care programs and advocates who will be tasked with identifyiing and families, business and community leaders, early childhood educators in every early learning setting from school district officials, Head Start program administrators, child care centers to family child care programs and advocates who will be tasked with identifying and addressing the early childhood service needs in each region. Utilizing family and provider voice, information gathered by these Councils will inform local and State policy around birth-to-five programs over the next decade, and beyond.
Join us for our Birth to Five Illinois virtual kick-off events from 6-7pm on February 1, 2, and 3, 2022. There will also be a Spanish session on February 5, 2022, from 10-11am. Registration is organized by region, and you can find your county’s date on the registration landing page. All are welcome to attend! We encourage you to RSVP now, as registration closes on Thursday, January 27th at 4pm.
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New Law: Early Intervention Extended Services Available Past
Third Birthday
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Effective January 2022, children with birthdays between May 1 and August 31 can continue to receive Early Intervention services past their third birthday. If a child meets the criteria, families will be offered the option to continue with Early Intervention services until the beginning of the next school year. To qualify for Early Intervention Extended Services (EI/ES), the child must:
- Be determined eligible for early intervention, and have an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).
- Have their third birthday between May 1 and August 31.
- Be found eligible for early childhood special education services under IDEA and section 14-8.02 of Public Act 102-0209 (Section 11h).
- Changes to 325 IL CS, Section 11 will go into effect as of January 2022 for children with qualifying summer birthdays beginning May 1, 2022.
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GEER Funds Illinois Zero to Three DC: 0-5 Training of Trainers Cohort
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In December 2021, the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) II supported a Zero to Three certified Training of Trainers. Partners included Almost Home Kids, Chicago Commons, Children’s Research Triangle, Erikson Institute, Illinois Department of Human Services-Division of Mental Health, and Early Intervention Training Program. As a result, eight trainers are available statewide to support DC: 0-5 clinical knowledge and expertise in navigating the DC: 0-5 Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood. This evidence-based manual continues to evolve with the most current research and cultivate curiosity around developmental and mental health disorders experienced by very young children. This diagnostic tool is developmentally appropriate and explores family and cultural considerations before recommending a diagnosis for young children if needed. Illinois continues to be a leader in facilitating opportunities to enhance the field of Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health expertise in Illinois.
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New Moms Launches New Program to Support Student Parents
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New Moms has launched an Academic Coaching program to challenge systemic barriers preventing many young moms from completing college degrees. One in five college students in the United States are parents, and schools cannot fully provide the kind of support young parents need to ensure success. Currently, only 8% of single mother students in Illinois complete an Associate degree within six years, compared to 60% of students without children, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Additionally, one in three Black women in college—who are already underrepresented in higher education because of systemic racism and historic barriers—are single parents. New Moms’ Academic Coaching program was created to address this disparity.
New Moms serves young moms and children who are experiencing poverty and/or homelessness. Single mothers in Illinois holding an Associate or Bachelor degree are 45% & 67% less likely, respectively, to live in poverty than high school graduates. The ECMC Foundation is funding a significant portion of the pilot program as well as the State of Illinois.
Together with the City Colleges of Chicago, New Moms is piloting a three-year program, with the goal of increasing degree attainment for young moms in Chicagoland. The results of this project will have implications for the national dialogue on how to support young moms pursuing degrees and will be evaluated by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. Participants will work with coaches to select the accredited institution of whose schedules, course colleges, and credentialing align with their goals. During the program, each participant will receive monthly support, including a $500 monthly stipend while enrolled in the program, individual and group coaching, as well as transportation and child care support.
Young moms will remain enrolled in the program for up to 3 years, or until they complete their degree, with additional follow-up support offered post-graduation. Reducing sources of stress, building responsive relationships, and strengthening core life skills—provide the basis for the Academic Coaching program.
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National Association for Family Child Care, 2022 32nd Annual Conference--Call for Presentations Deadline Extended
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The National Association for Family Child Care, 2022 32nd Annual Conference—Celebrating the Golden Era of Child Care, Call for Presentations, Deadline has been extended—Presenter proposals are due by February 15, 2022. Pre-conference begins June 22, 2022. Full conference runs from June 23-25, 2022. This is a virtual and on-site event. For additional information visit : www.nafcc.org
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ESSA and Multilingual Illinois 2022 Conference
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This combined virtual conference takes place February 22-25, 2022. For more information and to register, click the button below:
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Illinois Head Start Association Conference
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The virtual conference (which will take place March 8-11, 2022) will provide innovative training, deep level professional development opportunities, and an excellent forum for exploring best practices and connecting with colleagues. These training opportunities allow Directors, Staff, Parents and Head Start Friends to get the most current approaches to materials in their respective areas.
As an add-on to virtual registration, there will be Community POP-UPs in Joliet and Springfield. These half-day events will provide attendees with in-person learning, networking, important conversations, and fun.
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CEDA—State of Poverty Report Virtual Townhall
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Join CEDA and our partners on February 1, 2022 at 11:00 AM for our first ever State of Poverty Virtual Townhall.
Our inaugural event's theme - Rebuilding Together. Stronger. - looks at how we can collectively progress toward building an inclusive, equitable, and thriving Chicagoland.
We will deliver a State of Poverty Report, featuring the results of CEDA’s new Community Needs Assessment. Then a panel of experts will dive deeper into the key priorities we need to address to eradicate poverty. For more information and to register, go to: Mobilizing Chicagoland Summit (cedaorg.net)
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The Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development (GOECD) is currently hiring for three exciting positions.
The Director of Communications is responsible for developing and implementing communication and dissemination strategies to maximize the effectiveness of GOECD’s funded initiatives.
The Project and Communications Coordinator will provide support to the Director of Communications and is responsible for content creation and implementing dissemination and communication strategies to maximize the effectiveness of GOECD’s funded collaborative efforts.
The Executive Assistant provides administrative support to the Executive Director and is responsible for office operations to ensure a safe and efficient work environment. The Executive Assistance also supports GOECD's varied initiatives and programs.
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Don’t Miss Out on Scholarship Funding for Early Childhood Educators!
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Scholarships are available for this school year (2021-22)! If you work or have worked in early childhood education, and you are interested in earning additional credentials and/or a degree in the field, you may be eligible for an Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship!
Scholarships are still available for this school year (2021-2022) at participating Illinois colleges and universities and can cover up to the total cost of attendance after other financial aid is received. You must be a member of the Gateways to Opportunity Registry and enrolled either full or part-time in a participating Illinois college or university, among other criteria.
The priority consideration date for the 2021-22 ECACE Scholarship application is March 1, 2022. Applications received after that date will be given consideration if funding remains available after timely, qualified applicants have been awarded.
For more information on eligibility, a list of participating institutions, and to apply, click on the button below.
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Maria Whelan Leadership Institute
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For more than 50 years, Maria Whelan was focused almost singularly on improving outcomes for children and families. This was demonstrated through her life of advocacy – she used her voice to amplify the voices of those who were unjustly silenced. The tragic and untimely passing of Maria on June 10, 2020, has left an unimaginable void in the early care and education field in Illinois and beyond. We believe the best way to keep her spirit alive is by creating the Maria Whelan Leadership Institute, a fellowship that will allow her values, conviction, and sensibilities to live on in perpetuity.
This will be a 9-month compensated fellowship designed for mid-level early childhood education and care (“ECEC”) professionals with at least 3 years of professional experience, who have a strong desire to advance their career and advocacy skills. Fellows will build their leadership and management skills, learn about advocacy strategies to influence policy, hear from leaders across various sectors of the ECEC field, and build a network of like-minded professionals who are committed to excellence. This fellowship will be part time and held on Friday afternoons.
Stay tuned for details on upcoming information sessions and application instructions in early February.
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What Build Back Better Means for You: NAEYC Brief for Early Childhood Educators and Program Leaders
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The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has released an issue brief outlining what the Build Back Better proposal would mean for early childhood education. The proposed investment of nearly $400 billion would support increased wages for early childhood educators and increase options and affordability for families. It also includes increased support for quality and the ECE workforce to drive economic return on investment. Build Back Better is intentionally inclusive of faith-based providers and is designed to require a mixed delivery system and support programs working with infants and toddlers.
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Prenatal to Three Supplement to the Illinois Risk and Reach Report
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The Illinois Risk and Reach Report presents county-by-county data on risk factors that undermine optimal child development, as well as the reach of publicly funded programs and services that support early childhood well-being. Data is organized by three domains: family stability, health, and early care and education. This new report, the Prenatal to Three Supplement to the Risk and Reach Report, focuses on data specific to infants and toddlers. GOECD, Erikson Institute, Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map (IECAM), and Raising Illinois collaborated on this project, which shows 2019 and 2020 data on risk factors to optimal child development and supports for children and families. This project was funded by the Illinois Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5).
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Surgeon General's Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health
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The U.S. Surgeon General has released a report that highlights the critical state of youth mental health and the impact of COVID-19. It includes suggested actions for educators, family members, community organizations and government agencies.
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Apply Now for Child Care Recovery Grants
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Applications are now open for the Strengthen and Grow Grant and the extension of the Child Care Restoration Grant. Child care providers can apply for one or the other. These grants are designed to prevent child care closures and to help recruit and retain a robust early childhood workforce.
To learn more and to apply, click on the buttons below.
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Updated Restore Illinois Licensed Day Care Guidance & License Exempt School-Age Guidance
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Please be advised that this update issued January 21, 2022, is intended to clarify the guidance that is currently in place. We expect the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue updated child care guidance at which point this document will be amended.
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Order Free At-home COVID-19 Tests
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Testing helps reduce the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. At-home self-tests may be more convenient than laboratory-based tests and point-of-care tests. Self-testing offers fast results. The federal government is providing four FREE at-home tests per household. You can go online to order yours today. Tests are expected to ship in 7-12 days.
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Free N95 Masks to be Available Soon
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The federal government will soon begin distributing free N95 masks. Each person can receive three masks by visiting a community health center or a participating pharmacy or retailer including CVS, Costco, Walgreens, and Walmart.
The CDC has recently updated information on masks. For more information, click the button below.
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