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Resources, Materials and Reports

Announcements

Legislation

In February 2024, SB0001/HB5451 were filed to establish the Department of Early Childhood – legislation that will enable a better coordinated system of birth-to-five services and allow the state to reduce complexity and advance equity for families with young children.

Resources and Reports

  • Transforming Early Childhood Education and Care in Illinois - This report by ChiByDesign, a civic and social impact design firm, is the result of three co-design workshops that placed lived experts— families and early childhood providers-- at the forefront of shaping the Illinois Department of Early Childhood. The workshops, that used an anti-racist and trauma- informed co-design approach, led to the creation of key drivers and design principles that will be used to inform and guide IDEC’s transition efforts. Additionally, co-designers developed three innovative concepts to address challenges faced by families and early education providers, offering a glimpse into the stakeholder-driven solutions that IDEC aims to implement.

        Co-Design Workshop Share Outs:

Learning Series

Between February and April 2024, the Transition Team and Transition Advisory Committee hosted a series of conversations to learn best and promising practices from other states and organizations. Descriptions of those "Learning Series" sessions and recordings are found below. 

Learning Series Session 1: ChildTrends' Equity Data Framework

When: February 23, 2024, 2-3pm

Who: ChildTrends, the leading research organization in the U.S. focused solely on improving the lives of children and youth organizers of the national Early Childhood Data Collaborative.

Topic: ChildTrends' new data framework aimed at helping leaders better understand the experiences of children, families, or workforce members within their systems to begin identifying potential inequities and examine root causes that could be addressed.  

Learning Series Session 3: Using Analytics for More Equitable EC Policy

When: April 19, 2024, 1-3pm

Who: Representatives from MA, GA, WA and Third Sector Intelligence

Topic: Panel discussion of other states using innovative analytics to inform policy decisions and allocate resources more equitably across their state.