SPRINGFIELD – Launched in 2021, Birth to Five Illinois works in every community in the State to:
- Continually assess the Early Childhood programs available in each Region.
- Understand what is available versus what local families say their children need.
- Bring together community members and civic leaders to bridge the gap between what exists and what families need.
The new Changes in Early Childhood reports spotlight the most significant progress the Birth to Five Illinois Teams, Action Councils, Family Councils, and countless community members and organizational partners have made in addressing what families need and closing some of the gaps identified in previous reports.
The 2023 Birth to Five Illinois Early Childhood Regional Needs Assessments compile data and input from local community members on the available Early Childhood services, what access barriers exist, and recommendations for improvement. The organization’s 2024 reports feature challenges families and Early Childhood providers face in accessing Mental and Behavioral Health service in each Region, along with community-generated recommendations for how to better meet local needs.
Each of these new reports also highlights the changes in available Early Childhood and Mental and Behavioral Health programs and services that have impacted children and families the past few years and features a regional breakdown of the $12 million investment Birth to Five Illinois has made to Local Early Childhood Collaborations.
Sonja Clark, Director of Operations for Birth to Five Illinois, said, “From the ‘Elevate Will County Child Care Provider Grants’ to the Educare groundbreaking in Lake County to the addition of 250 Birth to Three Home Visiting slots across Clinton, Jefferson, Marion, and Washington Counties, there are so many significant examples of our Councils’ progress documented in these reports.”
Read the reports: www.birthtofiveil.com/reports/#needs
About Birth to Five Illinois
Birth to Five Illinois’ mission is to create a statewide regional infrastructure that will amplify input from communities in the development of policies and funding priorities. They support the mobilization of communities to build and sustain equitable access to inclusive, high-quality early childhood services for all children and families in the state of Illinois.