Prevention Initiative

Funded by the Illinois State Board of Education, the Prevention Initiative works with children from birth to 3-years-old and their families to build a strong foundation for later school success. Illinois Action for Children operates programs at two locations.

Chicago Public Schools Juvenile Court Program

Parent educators work with teen mothers who are on probation, referred by the Cook County Juvenile Court at 1100 S. Hamilton Ave. in Chicago. Services include:

• Twice monthly personal visits to teach parenting skills using the Parents As Teachers curriculum
• Monthly group sessions for parents and their children
• Child vision/hearing screening, health survey, and developmental screenings

Child Care Center Program

Working in the infant and toddler classrooms at three designated south suburban child care centers, teachers implement a comprehensive infant-toddler curriculum in conjunction with child care staff. In addition, parent educators offer the Parents As Teachers personal visit curriculum and monthly group sessions for parents and their children. All children receive health and developmental screenings.