Additional ECEC Resources
Illinois Early Childhood System Overview
The early childhood system is complex and fragmented because it is made of different programs and funding streams. Sometimes it may be hard to understand how to best serve children and young families in Illinois. The videos on this page are intended to help parents, individuals, and organizations understand the programs part of the early childhood system. Refer here for a complete list of programs serving children and families aged zero to five in Illinois.
Collaboration is a way of working and an organizational structure. Illinois early childhood system collaborations aim to address complex issues that a single organization or sector can’t solve alone.
Every child deserves to grow up feeling safe, secure and loved. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services helps thousands of children find permanent, loving homes; and helps thousands more reunite with loved ones.
Early Head Start programs provide comprehensive services to support the mental, social, and emotional development of children from prenatally to age 3. In addition to education services, programs provide children and their families with health, nutrition, social, and other services.
Early Intervention provides supports and services for families to help their children age 2 and under meet developmental milestones.
Illinois Department of Human Services Home Visiting programs support pregnant people and parents with young children ages 5 and under who live in communities that face greater risks and barriers to achieving positive maternal and child health outcomes.
Administered by the Illinois State Board of Education , Preschool For All focuses on providing high-quality educational programs for children considered at risk of academic failure. It also serves families of low to moderate income whose children are not considered to be at risk academically.
The Illinois State Board of Education partners with school districts to provide programs and services for students with specialized educational needs.
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program provides temporary financial assistance for pregnant people and families with one or more dependent children. Women, Infants, and Children is a food assistance program that helps pregnant people, new mothers, and young children eat well and stay healthy.