[link removed]






[link removed]





Start Early's Spring 2023 Illinois Legislative AgendaIn February, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker delivered a bold plan to advance our collective vision for Illinois to be the best state in the nation in which to raise young children. His comprehensive, multi-year plan, Smart Start Illinois, aims to expand and strengthen early care and education services to help ensure all expecting families, infants, toddlers and preschoolers across the state have what they need to be happy, healthy and ready to learn.

[link removed]

In addition to our support for the Governor’s Smart Start Illinois plan, Start Early is working to pass several bills aimed to improve the lives of young children, their families, and those who work in early childhood.
[link removed]
Learn more about our 2024 legislative agenda.








Join us in Springfield, IL on April 18
Early Childhood Advocacy DayCalling all advocates: Registration is now open for Early Childhood Advocacy Day April 18, 2023! We need your support to speak out on behalf of Illinois’ children and families. Use your voice to express the importance of early childhood programs to lawmakers, and boost your knowledge with key information on the legislative and budget issues that are affecting the futures of children and families throughout the state.

[link removed]

Join Start Early, COFI, Child Care For All, Raising Illinois, and We, The Village in Springfield this spring to promote increased opportunities for our youngest learners. With your support, we can help cultivate the future they deserve.

[link removed]
Check out more information on Early Childhood Advocacy Day 2023.








Urgent Need For Investment in Early InterventionGovernor Pritzker's Smart Start Illinois initiative calls for a historic investment of $40 million for the Early Intervention program in FY 2024 to increase provider reimbursement rates, address service coordination challenges and accommodate growing caseloads. We applaud this bold promise of funds and urge the Illinois General Assembly to approve an FY 2024 budget this spring that includes, at a minimum, the funding proposals laid out by the Governor and to advocate for additional needed improvements to the system. The EI workforce shortage is having a substantial impact on the provision of timely services for families as we see growing waiting lists at every step of the process and historically high numbers of families waiting for
services.
[link removed]
Learn more about the challenges facing Early Intervention.


Babies Can't WaitRaising Illinois has launched a virtual postcard campaign to gather stories from EI families and share with the Governor’s office, legislators, and administrators to demonstrate the impact of these critical services. This virtual postcard campaign provides a quick, easy way for families to share their story in their voice – easy to access via cell phone and available in English and in Spanish.

[link removed]









Raising Illinois Accomplishments & PrioritiesLast year was a big year for Illinois’ infants, toddlers and families. Advocates across the state informed and championed historic investments and implementations, noteworthy legislation and system improvements that support the most critical years of a child’s life – the first three. Start Early is proud to be a member of the Raising Illinois coalition, a collective effort of 200+ diverse individuals and organizations committed to supporting our youngest generation by ensuring families can access high-quality health care, engage in quality learning experiences, and establish economic security.

[link removed]
Raising Illinois’ contributors and champions are proud to share a comprehensive collection of 2022 Accomplishments. Every Illinoisan is impacted by the state's early learning system in one way or another - grandparents, educators, siblings, neighbors, etc. Visit
[link removed]
RaisingIllinois.org to better understand the challenges Illinois families are facing today and stay up to date on the latest news regarding early learning and care in the state.







New Report
Advancing Preschool Inclusion in Community-Based Early Childhood Education SettingsContrary to best practice, research, and the law, across Illinois children aged 3-5 years old with delays and disabilities who enroll in community-based early learning settings, including Head Start and community child care centers are often forced to leave their classroom during the day to travel to the school district to receive the special education and related services to which they are legally entitled.


Building on substantial efforts to improve inclusion across the mixed-delivery early learning system in Illinois,
[link removed]
a new report commissioned by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and supported by the Center for Early Learning Funding Equity and Start Early has surfaced recommendations for potential service and funding models to advance inclusive special education and related services to preschoolers (3-5 years old) with disabilities enrolled in community-based early childhood education programs.

[link removed]
We encourage you to read the new report. We are also hoping to identify community partners – including community child care, Head Start, and school district partners – who could help advance this work to plan for and pilot itinerant special education service delivery models to support preschoolers with delays and disabilities across all early learning settings.
[link removed]
To share your interest in staying involved in this emerging work, please complete this brief survey.










New Lawmaker EventAs part of the kick-off to the 2023 Illinois General Assembly, Start Early’s Illinois Policy Team, along with the Raising Illinois Coalition and Educare West DuPage, recently met with several new lawmakers. They engaged in thoughtful discussion about Illinois’ early care and education system, shared opportunities to ensure the youngest children in Illinois are given the best chance to succeed in school and in life and learned about legislator’s own connections to early childhood. The event concluded with a tour of Educare West DuPage led by the center’s mentor teachers and family engagement staff. The Illinois Policy Team looks forward to continued partnership with this new cohort of state legislators and their colleagues.
[link removed]
Stay updated on Illinois events and follow us on Twitter @EarlyEdIL!



[link removed]
Start Early advances quality early learning for families with children, before birth through their earliest years, to close the opportunity gap.

[link removed]

[link removed]



[link removed]



[link removed]



[link removed]

[link removed]


33 West Monroe Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60603 - 312.922.3863


(c)2023 Start Early


mailto:[email protected]

[link removed]
Privacy Policy |
[link removed]
Fundraising Disclosures

[link removed]



[link removed] Edition_022023
Manage Subscription Preferences |
[link removed] Edition_022023
Unsubscribe


This link will update subscription preferences for
mailto:[email protected]
[email protected] .