​Gov. Signs EO to Initiate Transition, Education Expert Ann Whalen to Lead Effort

CHICAGO — Today, Governor Pritzker was joined by Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, Deputy Governor Grace Hou, Deputy Governor Martin Torres, elected officials, and state agency directors at the Carole Robertson Center for Learning to announce a proposal to create a new state agency to house all early childhood programs and funding. The new unified agency will provide a more equitable, integrated, and holistic system of services for young children and families in Illinois.

"We need a governance system that is unified in its approach to serving families, working with providers, and promoting equity," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Our Smart Start Illinois plan served as the catalyst for this transition, but this new agency will cover so much more. From ISBE's Early Childhood Block Grants and DCFS' day care licensing program to DHS' child care, home visiting and early intervention services, soon all of these programs will be administered under the same agency."

The proposal builds on Governor Pritzker's work to make Illinois the best state in the nation for families raising young children, with the nation's best early childhood education and childcare system. Currently, services are housed in three separate agencies—the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS), and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

To initiate the multi-year process, Governor Pritzker is signing an Executive Order, and will work with the General Assembly on legislation in the spring of 2024.

Early Childhood Transition Director Ann Whalen
Education expert Ann Whalen will serve as Early Childhood Transition Director, working out of ISBE and in close collaboration with state agencies and the governor's office.

Ann Whalen has served as the Director of Policy for Advance Illinois since 2019, where she works on education advocacy issues including addressing Illinois' teacher shortage, the improved use of data to drive decision making, social-and-emotional learning, education funding, and more. She has an extensive background in education policy and implementation at the local, state, and federal levels.

Before joining Advance, Ann spent two years at Denver Public Schools focused on academic administration. Previously, Ann served as the Director of the United States Department of Education Implementation and Support Unit, helping to administer the Obama administration's Race to the Top program. Additionally, she served as Acting Assistant Secretary in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education where she focused on improving academic outcomes. Prior to her work in Washington, Ann was Deputy Chief Education Officer at Chicago Public Schools. She holds a BA in Political Science from Stanford University.

Advisory Committee
Governor Pritzker is establishing an external advisory committee to seek input from stakeholders across the state in preparation for the proposal. The committee will be chaired by Bela Moté and work closely with Ann Whalen.

Bela Moté is the Chief Executive Officer of the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, one of the largest early childhood and youth development organizations in Chicago, serving close to 2,500 children through their childcare centers and affiliate programs. She previously led the Early Childhood Funding Commission.

Early Childhood State Agency Proposal
The new unified agency will unify the following programs under a single agency:

• The Early Childhood Block Grant at ISBE, which funds Preschool for All and the Prevention Initiative home-visiting program
• The Child Care Assistance Program, Home-Visiting, and Early Intervention services at DHS
• Day care licensing currently managed by DCFS

Governor Pritzker established the Illinois Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding ("Early Childhood Funding Commission") to analyze and make recommendations on funding goals and mechanisms to provide equitable access to high-quality early childhood education and care services for all children from birth to age five. The Commission concluded its efforts in 2021 with the recommendation to consolidate all early childhood programs into a new agency, making it a more accessible system for providers and families.

The unified agency will address the difficulties that providers and families experience when navigating three different agencies. Having a governance system that is unified in its approach to serving families, working with providers, and promoting equity is why several states—including Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, Oregon, and New Mexico—already created new state agencies dedicated solely to early childhood.

The change will further advance the Pritzker administration's transformative investments in comprehensive early childhood education and care, including Smart Start Illinois. Beginning with a $250 million investment this year, Smart Start Illinois is a multi-year plan to eliminate preschool deserts, increase funding to childcare providers to raise wages and quality, and reach more vulnerable families with early support.

Smart Start Illinois demonstrates the state's ongoing commitment to children, families, teachers, and childcare providers. The $250 million investment in FY24 includes:

• $75 million additional for the Early Childhood Block Grant to put Illinois on a path to creating more than 20,000 new Pre-K spots for every child who wants one
• $130 million for nation-leading Childcare Workforce Compensation Contracts that will stabilize providers and give childcare workers a raise
• An additional $40 million for Early Intervention programs to enhance services for families and give providers a raise
• $5 million to expand the Illinois Department of Human Services' Home Visiting Program so more families who want it can receive this early support

In addition to Smart Start investments, other investments being made in the early Childhood Education Space include:

• $100 million in capital dollars for early childhood providers to expand existing facilities and build new facilities
• $70 million for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
• $12 million in new funding for scholarships and apprenticeships to expand the childcare workforce
• $1.6 million to launch the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, a statewide literacy initiative to send free books to children from birth-through age five

"As a working mom, I know how important it is for families to be able to navigate getting access to quality, affordable childcare and early learning programs," said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. "Today's announcement isn't just about the system, but the people within this system—parents, families, educators and most importantly, the children who will have greater access to resources they need to thrive. By creating a more efficient and equitable system, we are better serving our Illinois family."

"Our shared mission across State agencies is enhancing equitable access to early childhood programs and services in support of holistic development for all children," said Dulce Quintero, Secretary, Illinois Department of Human Services. "We are so proud to be a part of this historic investment in Illinois children and their shared futures."

"Illinois is a national leader in expanding and investing in early childhood. Illinois has truly set the bar for the nation," said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. "But we also recognize that our current model of governance and administration can be confusing for families looking for care and for providers looking for funding or guidance. Today, under the leadership of the Pritzker Administration, ISBE looks forward to collaborating on improving coordination, equity, and outcomes for the many excellent early education and care providers across the state and the young minds they serve."

"The department has always been proud of our role and setting high standards as it relates to licensing," said Marc D. Smith Director of Illinois DCFS. "When change has been needed in Illinois, the Governor has led the way through innovation and bold action; we are pleased to work alongside the team creating best practices under this new agency."

"The foundation of a child's success and well-being is built starting the moment they are born," said Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood). "As a state, it is our duty to provide the necessary support and resources to build such stability. The creation of this unique agency will break ground on our transition to a whole, trauma-informed approach to meeting children's diverse needs."

"A new state agency completely dedicated to the young child that will blend the important elements of early childhood education and care into one department to create bright futures for Illinois children," said State Sen. Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield). "These coordinated supports will make it easier for families and providers in Illinois and I am excited to work with Governor Pritzker and his team to get this agency up and running."

"As a strong advocate for education, I'm committed to prioritizing early childhood education that encourages children to be lifelong learners," said State Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). "This will streamline services and access for all early childhood providers and families across the state. I thank Governor Pritzker for putting our students first and making early childhood education a priority here in Illinois."

"Illinois' children deserve access to the best early childhood education and care services, and this transformation will have a notable impact across the state," said State Senator Lakesia Collins (D-Chicago). "I am grateful to Governor Pritzker and everyone that is collaborating to make this change possible."

"Early childhood care and education are key to creating a strong foundation for learning and success," said House Deputy Majority Leader Elizabeth ‘Lisa' Hernandez (D-Cicero). "I look forward to collaborating with Governor Pritzker to ensure that we continue making Illinois the best state in the nation for families, with equity at the center of every policy."

"We want to make sure that every child receives the attention and prioritization they deserve," said House Assistant Majority Leader Camille Lilly (D-Chicago). "I appreciate the partnership from Governor Pritzker and his administration with the Early Childhood Funding Commission, and I'm excited to see the strong impact this new agency will have across Illinois."

"Over the past year, I've spent considerable time with families and providers, listening to their experiences, struggles, and needs," said State Rep. Joyce Mason (D-Gurnee). Having one agency dedicated to ECEC will make it easier for families to explore their options and for providers to navigate funding and standards. Most importantly, it will better ensure that every child in Illinois will receive equitable, high-quality education and care. Together with the SMART START Illinois initiative introduced this year, Illinois is working hard to be the very best state for families to raise their children."

"Children in all corners of the state deserve high quality early childhood education," said State Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia). "Helping families and children by expanding access to child care and early childcare education will dramatically impact their future success. Establishing an office of early childhood education and housing all resources under one ‘roof' will provide better support for daycare providers and families, ensuring that Illinois is the best place for families to raise their children."

"Uniting the efforts of public servants under a dedicated agency devoted to strengthening early childhood conditions for all Illinois kids is a major step forward," said State Rep. Mary Beth Cany (D-Arlington Heights). "This step is by no means the end to lawmaking efforts working towards a better life for our children. However, this team of professionals with the work already being done in the General Assembly creates the opportunity to grow further partnerships and find smarter solutions to the challenges facing Illinois families, rather than our current siloed approach."

"I am thrilled to see Governor Pritzker take this extremely important step towards improving outcomes for both children and parents across Illinois," said State Rep. Laura Faver Dias (D-Grayslake). "The creation of an agency to oversee early childhood programs will help Illinois manage out-of-control childcare costs, provide a better quality of care, and improve childcare access to parents across Illinois. The strength of Illinois' unified childcare efforts will make Illinois a better place to raise a child."

Link to flyer from IDHS - ​https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BhTHTWjcLvcgX8YfqcQefrz9RGQmmYhL/view?usp=sharing

​A message from IDHS -
CCAP payments listed with “January 1st – one” approval dates on the toll-free payment information line (800-804-3833) have already been approved by IDHS, or will be shortly. Many of these payments may already have been issued by The Office of the Comptroller, or will be issued soon.
To see if a payment has been issued, providers should:
• Visit the Illinois Comptroller’s office at www.illinoiscomptroller.gov.
• Click the “Vendor Services” tab on the home page.
• Click on “Vendor Payments” on the next screen.
• Enter the social security number or FEIN used for CCAP billing.
• Enter the legal name or business name of the provider.
• Choose the correct security images and click “Submit”.
• The most recent payments will; show on the next screen.
Normally, the toll-free inquiry line will list the payment as “entered” the day after the CCR&R enters a payment into the IDHS system. Payments will be listed as “approved on January 1st – one” within a few days after entry. This means your payment is on its way soon.
We apologize for any confusion this may have caused. The incorrect message is an unexpected problem that came up when improvements were made to the payment system, which have made the process of approving and issuing payments much faster than in the past.

The first batch of round 4 SGCC grant checks were mailed on 11/4.  This included approximately 2100 program’s checks.  INCCRRA will continue to process, approve and pay SGCC Round 4 checks into November. 
 
An email went out on 11/4 to a list of around 8000 licensed providers with the following information:
 

• Dates for when round 5 opens (November 28, 2022 – December 22, 2022). 
• INCCRRA is providing three weeks for programs to prepare and be ready before Round 5 opens. 
• There is one eligibility change - increasing the amount of public funding programs can have from 50% to 75%, this will allow for a small group of programs to apply that might not have been eligible before. 
• This email states that CCRG will end in December 2022.  The CCRG Round 6 (which covered expenses from July – December) has already closed and most round 6 checks have been mailed. 
• We encourage programs to use the list included to prepare, if they do these things now, they will be better prepared to submit a budget when round 5 opens and will be less likely to miss the deadline.  

CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker, together with the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Division of Early Childhood (DEC), announced plans to further advance Illinois as the best state in the country for families to raise young children.
The investments are aimed at supporting providers as they continue serving their local communities and easing financial burdens on working families.
Illinois will enhance its continued investments in the state’s early childhood system in the following ways:
• Extending and expanding the Strengthen and Grow Child Care (SGCC) grant program through July 2023. These grants provide funding for eligible child care centers and homes.
• Extending Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) eligibility for job seekers through June 2023.
• Reclassifying some eligibility earned income to unearned income. This will enable more families to access CCAP benefits and make Illinois a leader in this area.
“When I took office in 2019, I pledged to make Illinois the best place in the nation to raise a family,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “By expanding the Strengthen and Grow Child Care and Child Care Assistance programs, we are living up to that pledge and making sure families in every corner of the state have access to quality care for their children during their most crucial developmental years.”
"This comprehensive strategy strengthens the infrastructure of our state’s early childhood system and uplifts families across our state," said Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. "We know that this is crucial to nurturing the promise of young people while giving those who provide care during these important stages of development the resources and support needed to do their best work. Access to affordable, quality childcare is a core building block to a bright future for children, their families and the communities of Illinois.”
In December 2021, Governor Pritzker and IDHA Secretary Grace B. Hou announced the launch of the $300 million Strengthen and Grow Child Care (SGCC) program. SGCC focuses on providing eligible licensed child care centers and homes the stable funding needed to recruit, retain, and invest in a strong workforce.
This next round of SGCC funding will open Monday, November 28, 2022. Further details on eligibility requirements and access to applications can be found on the Gateways Director Portal.
This round of funding will be released in February 2023 and run through April 2023. Programs that receive no more than 75% of total early childhood program/site revenue from Early Childhood Block Grant funding (including Preschool for All and/or Prevention Initiative or Head Start/Early Head Start) are eligible to apply. This is up from 50% in previous SGCC funding rounds, making more providers eligible for this support.
In addition to extending and expanding SGCC, the administration will also extend Initial Activity Search (IAS), which was originally implemented in October 2021 to help Illinois families get back on their feet if they faced unemployment during the pandemic. It allows a three-month job search at initial eligibility for Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) families who are not employed or in school/training. This critical support will be extended through June 2023 to ensure stability in child care when a parent loses a job or while they look for a new job or enroll in a workforce development program.
Finally, to help simplify and streamline the CCAP application process – for both families and eligibility specialists – the administration, at the recommendation of the Child Care Advisory Council, will reclassify some eligibility earned income to unearned income to help address inconsistencies in calculating eligibility. This change will go into effect December 1, 2022. For more information on income eligibility, please visit https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=104995.
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“Strengthen and Grow Child Care grants provide stable, predictable funding to support high quality child care and invest in our critical child care workforce. Thanks to Governor Pritzker’s leadership, we will continue to advance Illinois’ child care system in the year ahead,” said Grace B. Hou, Secretary, Illinois Department of Human Services.
“Advancing the child care network helps families across our state to succeed,” said Kirstin Chernawsky, Director, Division of Early Childhood, Illinois Department of Human Services. “The Governor’s vision and key efforts support children from early childhood onward. These changes support families, providers, and children across Illinois.”
Just a year ago, Governor Pritzker and Secretary Hou announced the launch of the Child Care Restoration Grants (CCRG), which have provided over $900 million in financial assistance to child care businesses that experienced interruption or loss of enrollment due to COVID-19. Thanks to this investment, 97 percent of child care providers who were open pre-pandemic and received support through CCRG were still open a year later. As the state transitions from a pandemic response to preparing for long-term sustainability, CCRG will come to a close December 31, 2022.
To date, over $1 billion in funding has reached more than 12,000 child care providers, with over 85 percent of eligible child care centers and 60 percent of licensed family child care homes receiving direct relief. Currently, more than 100,000 Illinois children are served through CCAP.

DCFS Background Check Portal
The DCFS Division of Licensing is pleased to announce that the Background Check Portal is now live on the DCFS website and the Sunshine website.
The background check portal allows licensed providers to:
• Conduct a fingerprint search.
• Check the status of background checks for all agency and institution and day care center employees.
• Obtain background check forms.
• Get the latest news and FAQ updates surrounding background checks.
Registration is required to use the portal. All information is confidential and shared only with authorized designated administrators.
To register:
1. Go to https://AccountManagement.dcfs.illinois.gov/Register.aspx to register your email account.
2. Complete the Background Check Portal Access Request Form and send it to: [email protected]. (Approval takes up to five business days)
Additional assistance
For administrative user assistance or for questions related to the background check portal, please contact us by email at [email protected].