Birth to Five Illinois

We are redesigning the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) system with families at the center. Illinois has a goal of becoming the best state in the nation for families raising young children by improving and expanding the delivery of child care and early learning programs for children from birth until they start kindergarten. This effort began in 2019 when the Governor appointed a commission to analyze Illinois’ early childhood programs and identify ways to improve them. The commission produced a report with a set of recommendations to ensure all families in Illinois regardless of race, ethnicity, home language, and social circumstance have the services needed to prepare their children for school. The Birth to Five Illinois Family and Action Councils include parents, service providers, educators, and advocates, who are working with our Teams to identify service needs in each of the 39 Regions of Illinois. Information gathered by these Councils will inform local and state policy around birth-to-five programs over the next decade and beyond.