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Starting July 1, 2026, the Illinois Department of Early Childhood will officially become the lead agency for Child Care Licensing, Head Start State Collaboration Office Grant, Home Visiting, Early Intervention and the Child Care Assistance Program, Early Childhood Block Grant, and a range of other early childhood support to families, providers and educators.”  

Should you have any questions related to this transition please reference our Transition FAQ’s (PDF). Should you need further support visit our Contact page where you can submit your questions. We are excited to continue this journey with you!

Early Childhood Workforce

A Well-prepared And Thriving Early Childhood Workforce Is Critical

The early childhood workforce plays important role in programs and across sectors, such as Early Intervention, Home Visiting, Preschool and Child Care. These professionals make it possible for parents and guardians to work and go to school and provide the environments, interactions, and support that promote young children’s strong growth and development and help put them on a path to reach their full potential. 

IDEC recognizes the challenges that the critical workforce is faced with, from shortages of well-prepared workforce members to high rates of burnout that can result in high turnover. 

IDEC seeks to support a robust, well-prepared, and thriving early childhood workforce in Illinois, across our systems and sectors. A variety of programs are in place to support workforce members, some of which are provided through links.

Resources for Child Care and Preschool Providers and Workforce Members

  • ECACE Scholarship, created to address the shortage of qualified early childhood educators and build a strong, well-prepared workforce by encouraging those who want to further their education.  

  • Gateways Registry, to access various state supports and for those required to register as part of the workforce 

  • Great Start, a wage supplement program for eligible practitioners that acknowledges completed college coursework and experience at their current place of employment.

  • Smart Start Workforce Grants, grants to providers to support increased wages for the child care and family child care workforce members. s

  • Early Childhood Professional Learning (ECPL) supports high quality practices in early childhood education and care with free professional learning, resources and information that promotes positive outcomes for young children and their families

  • iLearning, access online, Gateways Approved Training, training for ExceleRate Illinois, L1 Credential, and more 

  • Illinois STAR NET provides professional development for those who touch the lives of young children, with an emphasis on children with disabilities 

Resources for Home Visitors and Supervisors

Illinois Resources

  • Mothers and Babies at Northwestern University is an evidence-based intervention for pregnant people and new parents to help manage stress and prevent postpartum depression.

  • The Center provides assistance to teachers and administrators serving linguistically and culturally diverse students.

  • Illinois STAR NET provides professional development for those who touch the lives of young children, with an emphasis on children with special needs

     

National Resources

Resources for Early Intervention Providers 

Provider Connections (credentialing and enrollment)

 

Early Intervention Training Program (training and professional development)

 

Early Intervention Central Billing Office (billing and payments)

 

Early Intervention Clearinghouse (resource directory)