“We must be impatient for change. Let us remember that our voice is a precious gift and we must use it.”
– Claudia Flores, Director of International Human Rights Clinic
CS3 Updates
Save The Date! 2026 Partner Plan Act Conference – April 28-30
Mark your calendars! The 2026 Partner Plan Act Conference will be held virtually from April 28-30, 2026! The theme is Equity from the Start: Centering Community Well-Being in Early Childhood Systems. Join us for engaging discussions, insightful sessions, and networking opportunities.
If you are interested in presenting a workshop at the conference, please complete the Request for Proposals (RFP) online by December 19, 2025.
Be sure to visit the Partner Plan Act Website for the latest information about registration and stay tuned for exciting conference updates!
HB1312 Passed to Safeguard Child Care Centers
On October 31, the Illinois General Assembly passed HB1312, comprehensive civil rights legislation designed to protect the constitutional rights of Illinois residents and ensure hospitals, institutions of higher education, courthouses, and licensed child care centers are safe spaces for all.
The bill requires licensed day care centers to adopt policies to protect the privacy and safety of all children and families, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.
HB1312 would go into effect on January 1, 2026, and is awaiting signature by the Governor. IAFC worked with partners to pass the bill and will be sharing more information and resources to support child care providers in implementing the safeguards provided in the law.
Transition at CS3
A note from Brittain Ayres, Director of CS3:
In December, I will be leaving the role of Director, Community Systems Statewide Supports (CS3) at Illinois Action for Children (IAFC). I joined IAFC in 2020 to lead the Community-Based Planning project, supporting collaborations to proactively plan for an expansion in publicly funded early childhood programming. Since then, I led the Regional Community Systems project, providing onboarding and training for Birth to Five Illinois staff, and most recently I have been the Director of CS3.
Working on the CS3 team to support collaboration leaders and members across the state has been the most exciting work I’ve had the opportunity to do. It has been a privilege to learn about and support the passion, commitment, and innovation across the state as collaborations work to improve early childhood systems for children and families. Seeing community collaborations bring partners and families together to organize and advocate for better systems, increased funding, and building an early childhood system that truly works for children, families, and providers gives me so much hope in uncertain times.
To stay connected, follow Brittain on LinkedIn.
Know Your Rights Fact Sheets
Now as much as ever, it is important for families and communities to understand your rights. We encourage you to download and share this T two-Page Know Your Rights Fact Sheet from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights (ICIRR). This resource is available in multiple languages, and local early childhood collaborations may use the CS3 printing resources through America Color Labs to request printed flyers.
Please select your preferred language and submit a printing request below.
Upcoming CS3 Trainings and Events
Collaboration Highlight: Lunch & Learn – IRIS
Date: Thursday, December 11
Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
In this session, you’ll hear from Kane, Will, and Sangamon counties as they share their experiences with the Integrated Referral and Intake System (IRIS), a community referral platform designed to streamline connections and better support families. IRIS centers the needs of families, making it easier for communities to access and coordinate local early childhood resources and services.
This session will be facilitated by Jaclyn Vasquez.
This session will be recorded.
Collaboration Highlight: Lunch & Learn – IRIS
Date: Thursday, December 11
Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
In this session, you’ll hear from as they share their experiences with the Integrated Referral and Intake System (IRIS), a community referral platform designed to streamline connections and better support families. IRIS keeps efficiency in mind while centering the needs of families, making it easier for communities to access and coordinate local early childhood resources and services.
This session will be facilitated by Jaclyn Vasquez.
Please note, this session will be recorded.
Collaboration Highlight: Lunch & Learn – Community Support Services Saturation
Date: Wednesday, January 14
Time: 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
In this session you’ll hear about Community Support Services Saturation (CPSS) which partners with communities to expand access to a full range of parenting support, tailoring evidence-based interventions to meet families where they are. Their approach “saturates” communities by offering:
Tier 1: Universal strategies that reach all families
Tier 2: Short-term parenting programs for those needing additional support
Tier 3: Intensive services, such as home visiting, for families with the highest needs
This session will highlight how CPSS works collaboratively to ensure families have the right support at the right time, strengthening parenting capacity across entire communities.
This session will be facilitated by Aziza Hummeid.
This session will be recorded.
Moving Action to Policy: Influencing Systems from Local to State
Date(s): Thursday, January 22
Thursday, January 29
Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
This two-part interactive series supports early childhood collaborations in building on their day-to-day work with practical, concrete strategies to influence policy, starting at the local level and expanding toward statewide systems change.
Part 1: From Community Collaboration to Local Systems Change
- Learn how to identify policy problems using family stories and local data, map your policy landscape, and build influence through strategic storytelling and actionable tools.
Part 2: Scaling Local Collaboration into State Policy Influence
- Build on your local momentum to engage in statewide policy conversations. Explore the language of systems influence, connect your work to state decision-makers, and develop a concrete plan to move your message upward.
This series is eligible for Gateways credits and certificates issued in collaboration with The Center: Early Childhood Professional Learning.
This event will not be recorded.
This training will be facilitated by Jaclyn Vasquez and Dr. Rebecca Halperin.
Mini Cohort: Early Childhood
Date(s): Tuesday, February 10
Tuesday, February 17
Tuesday, February 24
Time: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Illinois’ young children deserve the best start in life—and the foundations of early childhood education are the building blocks to lifelong success. This three-week mini collaboration cohort is designed for community collaboration partners to come together, learn, and exchange ideas.
Participants will explore:
- The science of brain development and how it influences early learning.
- The developing infant/toddler and the importance of early intervention
- The structure of Illinois’ early childhood programs and systems.
Each session will feature an expert speaker, Q&A opportunities, and open dialogue to foster meaningful connections and actionable insights. Together, let’s strengthen the fabric of Illinois’ early childhood community.
This training will be facilitated by Jaclyn Vasquez and Dr. Rebecca Halperin.
This series is eligible for Gateways credits and certificates issued in collaboration with The Center: Early Childhood Professional Learning.
This event will not be recorded.
Measuring Impact: Understanding and Capturing Family Impact
Date(s): Tuesday, February 12
Tuesday, February 19
Time: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Join us for high-level training designed to help early childhood collaborations build the skills to use data meaningfully to understand, communicate, and demonstrate their impact for long-term sustainability.
This training will be facilitated by Hannah Miro and Jaclyn Vasquez.
This series is eligible for Gateways credits and certificates issued in collaboration with The Center: Early Childhood Professional Learning.
This event will not be recorded.
Other Events & Updates
Join We, the Village at our Next Coalition Meeting
Date: Thursday, December 4
Time: 6 p.m.
Join the We, the Village Coalition’s upcoming virtual meeting to hear the latest updates, trends, and opportunities shaping early childhood care and education in Illinois. This is a great opportunity for providers, advocates, and community members to stay connected, informed, and ready to engage in the policies and initiatives impacting our field.
Has Flat Funding Impacted Your Program? Share Your Story with We, the Village
We, the Village is collecting and posting testimony on FY26 Flat Funding for early childhood programs and its impact on parents and providers. These stories will be used to support their FY27 early childhood budget advocacy. Submit your testimony today on how flat funding for ECACE, EI, Home Visiting, and ECBG impacts you and/or your community.
Training Opportunities in Collaboration with The Center: Early Childhood Professional Learning
Monday, November 17 – Responding to Curiosity in Powerful Interactions
Tuesday, December 02 – Positive Solutions for Families
Wednesday, December 03 – Invention Techniques for Working with Trauma-impacted Young Children: Strategies for the Classroom and Other Settings
Visit The Center’s Training Calendar for more opportunities.
Collaboration Highlight: WeGo Together for Kids “The Basics Through Art”
This month, we spoke with Jennifer Rodriguez, Early Childhood Manager at WeGo Together for Kids – West Chicago, about “The Basics Through Art”, a bilingual community art installation inspired by The Basics Inc. framework promoting early childhood development. In partnership with local organizations and West Chicago Community High School, they held art contests to engage students. The winning piece, by Lauren Dusing (Class of 2025), is now displayed at Republic Bank. The initiative continues to inspire families to practice The Basics—simple, powerful actions that support children’s growth and learning.
See the full highlight on our WeConnect Platform.
weconnect
WeConnect brings together members who are dedicated to advancing community systems development in early childhood education and care.
You can also find and access our on-demand courses on WeConnect. Be sure to check out our latest course: Fiscal Sustainability 201!
Fiscal Sustainability 201 is designed for early childhood collaborations ready to deepen and apply their knowledge of sustainable funding strategies to meet long-term goals. Building on the foundational concepts from Fiscal Sustainability 101, this course will help you strengthen your funding practices with a focus on strategy, alignment, and implementation.
WeConnect gives you access to:
- Online Communities: Connect with your collaboration, get early childhood and community systems development news, and meet other collaborations members online.
- Discussions: Ask questions and share your knowledge and ideas.
- Resource Libraries: Share and find the resources you need.
- Member Directory: Get in touch with other collaboration members.
Check your spam folder if you have not received a confirmation email.
CS3 Resources
Access Printing Support
The CS3 team is continuing to offer support in partnership with American Color Labs for printing services. If your local early childhood collaboration has marketing materials that you’d like to print, please complete this Request for Support form.
Printing support can include flyers, annual reports, marketing collateral, stickers, banners, posters, and more. Please reach out to the CS3 team if you have questions about this support.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a service provided specifically to early childhood education and care (ECEC) collaborations. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate requests for individual programs.