Background

Illinois has a strong history of systems building efforts and support for families with young children. Governor Rod Blagojevich took a major step toward establishing a statewide early childhood system by signing Senate Bill 565 - creating the Illinois Early Learning Council. The Council will build on recent and ongoing early childhood planning efforts and initiatives as well as lessons learned and input from parents and local communities. Key recommendations and priorities already identified through the following initiatives related to families with children under five provide a foundation for the important work of the Illinois Early Learning Council: Illinois Preschool Task Force Report, Illinois Child care Strategic Plan, Illinois Children's Mental Health Task Force, Professional Development Advisory Committee, Born Learning, Chicago Partners for Children, License-Exempt Home Child Care Conference and the Birth to Five Project (Build Initiative), among others.

Long-Term Outcome

All Illinois children are safe, healthy, eager to learn and ready to succeed by the time they enter school.

Vision

The Early Learning Council is committed to developing a high-quality early learning system that will be available to all children birth to five throughout the state by enhancing, coordinating and expanding programs and services for young children - including PreKindergarten, child care, Head Start, health care and parental support programs.

Broad Purpose of the Illinois Early Learning Council

• Review recommendations of previous/ongoing early childhood efforts and initiatives and oversee implementation
• Develop multi-year plans to expand programs and services to address gaps and insufficient capacity and to ensure quality
• Reduce or eliminate policy, regulatory and funding barriers
• Engage in collaborative planning, coordination and linkages across programs, divisions and agencies at the state level
• Report to the Governor and General Assembly on the Council's progress toward its goals and objectives on an annual basis

Major Issues to Come Before the Illinois Early Learning Council

Based on recommendations of Illinois' past and ongoing early childhood initiatives, the Early Learning Council will consider and develop actions and recommendations related to the following issues:

• Program Quality and Quality Assurance - How can Illinois enhance the quality of existing early childhood programs for children birth to five years of age, ensure high quality services are provided in all publicly funded early learning programs and design high-quality, voluntary, universal preschool models for all three- and four-year olds?
• Evaluation and Assessment - How can Illinois ensure programs are providing effective, high-quality early learning opportunities? How can programs appropriately assess and support children's readiness to succeed in school?
• Expansion - How can Illinois expand access to high-quality preschool for all three- and four-year olds by building upon and enhancing existing programs and beginning with those children most at-risk for school failure? How can we expand access to high-quality early childhood programs for all at-risk children under three years of age?
• Linkage and Integration - How can Illinois improve coordination and integration across early childhood programs and systems to address the comprehensive nature of children's healthy development and readiness for school?
• Workforce Development - How can Illinois develop a statewide workforce development system to enable more early childhood practitioners to improve their skills through training and higher education?

Membership

Council members serve on a voluntary, unpaid basis; represent both public and private organizations; and reflect the regional, cultural, and racial diversity of Illinois. Members serve three-year terms, except for the initial appointments; half of the initial members were appointed to a two-year term so that terms are staggered. The President of the Senate, Minority Leader of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives each appoint one member to the Council. All other Council members are appointed by the Governor.

Council Updates

• The FY07 Early Learning Council report [PDF, 1.1MB]
• The approved minutes from the Feb meeting of the Council[PDF, 324KB]
• The schedule of full Council and committee meetings (set thus far) for 2007-2008 [PDF, 119KB]
• The Issue Briefs created for the Governor’s Summit back in October [PDF, 1.7MB]
• Initiative Ideas for Consideration by the Early Learning Concil [PDF, 51KB]
• New Illinois Early Learning Council Committee Priorities and Structure [PDF, 63KB]
• Preschool for All: Reaching At-Risk Children First [PDF, 205KB]
• Governors Summit On Early Childhood [PDF, 58KB]

For more information, contact the Governor's office at (217) 782-0244 or Ounce of Prevention Fund at ddurica@ounceofprevention.org