Training Stipends

• The minimum staff required to take training per the Excelerate™ IL Circle of Quality
• Staff of licensed programs pursuing an Excelerate™ IL Bronze, Silver, or Gold Circle of Quality
• Staff is defined as:
  • For Centers: program administrator and teaching staff. Program administrator is defined as the person responsible for the on-site day-to-day operation of the child care program. Includes director, assistant director, director/teacher (when spending 50% or more time in an administrative role). Teaching staff is defined as lead teacher, teacher, director/teacher (when spending 50% or more time in teaching role), and teaching assistant.
  • For Licensed Family Child Care (LFCC): the primary care provider and LFCC assistant

• Training must occur during the current fiscal year (7/1/23-6/30/24)
• Training must be required for the Circle of Quality which the program is working towards/maintaining
• Training must be Excelerate™ approved in-person and online
• Training participants must be a current member of the Gateways to Opportunity registry
• Training participants must be currently employed at the program

Please refer to the training grids at www.excelerateillinoisproviders.com (select “how it works” and then the overview for provider type) to confirm the requirements for a Circle of Quality and the minimum required staff.

No, these training sessions may not be eligible for the Individual Professional Development funds. 

This varies per training; however, it is either the program administrator or the program administrator and a percentage of teaching staff. For LFCC it is the primary care provider and LFCC assistant(s) (when specified on the Circle of Quality chart. Please refer to the Circle of Quality charts here: www.excelerateillinoisproviders.com/resources/standard-and-evidence-requirements

• Program administrator – No, but the person(s) must be in a staff role described above.
• Teaching staff– Not necessarily, but the person(s) must be in a staff role described above.
• For LFCC it is the primary care provider and LFCC assistants (when specified on the Circle of Quality chart).

Programs may apply for the stipend based on the minimum training requirements listed on the Circle of Quality chart which they are working towards/maintaining.

If a required Excelerate™ IL training is offered on-line, the training is eligible for the stipend. Please note the stipend is based on the number of training contact hours.

• Training sessions will be noted on your local CCR&R training calendar https://www.actforchildren.org/development/opportunities/quality-improvement-cohort
• Training information may be found at the statewide training calendar www.ilgateways.com

The stipend only applies to training that is required for the Circle of Quality the program is working towards/maintaining.

The training may be eligible for individual professional development funds. Contact Illinois Action for Children below for more information.

• $10 per contact training hour (applies to face to face and online courses)
• Travel time is not covered under the stipend.
• For the allowable funding ranges per program per fiscal year please see Section A in the application packet.
  The allowable funding range is a combination of all three Quality Improvement fund areas.

The stipend is designed to assist with staff costs while staff are taking the required Excelerate™ IL training including:

• Staff wages while attending training outside of normal working hours
• Substitute wages while staff attend training during working hours

In addition to a completed application and supplemental application D, the following documentation is required:

• Documentation of training attendance/completion
• Proof of Gateways to Opportunity registry membership for each training participant
• W-9 form (included in the application packet)

Complete training stipend applications (including supporting documentation) may be submitted at any time during the funding cycle. However, for this funding period the final due date for applications to be submitted to Illinois Action for Children is 5 p.m. on June 3, 2024.

Payment is made directly to the child care program after training is completed and required documentation is submitted.