News

Illinois Action for Children is committed to assisting child care providers and center staff with meeting health and safety requirements. Child care providers must have a minimum of 1 CCAP child in care…

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The Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) and Illinois Action for Children hosted a Cost of Quality Early Learning Think Tank on May 16-17, 2018, in Chicago, Illinois. The meeting provided an opportunity for state and local leaders, advocates,…

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On June 7, 2018, a letter signed by 540 child welfare, juvenile justice, and child development agencies from all 50 states was sent to the Honorable Kirstjen M. Nielsen, Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to express concerns that the…

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Chicago parents should have more early learning options for their 4-year-olds starting next year. Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday announced plans to make full-day pre-kindergarten universal.

The group outside the Illinois Action for Children Early Learning Center in Ford Heights on Friday wielded shovels, cultivators and other tools. They lugged flats of plants, toted sacks of fertilizer and seeds and hauled hoses as they refreshed the…

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For 15 years, Ruth Kimble has provided child care to kids in Chicago’s West Side Austin neighborhood, a service which gave kids safe and stimulating supervision while helping parents work or finish school. But upheaval in the state-run program that…

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Early Head Start programs provide access to real educational opportunities for expectant families and children up to three years old. Early Head Start (both home- and center-based programs) includes Parent-Infant Educator visits to the home once per week, a social¬ization…

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Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s proposed Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) budget includes a mix of small increases and level funding for some early learning programs and a significant cut to the Child Care program. “We know there are more children and…

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Child care is one of a family’s largest expenses. The amount that Cook County families pay for child care varies by region, care setting and the age of their children. On average it costs more than what many families pay…

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Illinois Action for Children convenes early childhood community leaders and advocates every year for an early childhood policy caucus. This year, we’ll be hosting 4 caucuses throughout the state! At each regional caucus, you’ll learn about upcoming state and federal…

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