Regardless of zip code or family income, when welcoming a new baby, all parents and families could benefit from additional encouragement and support. That is why Start Early is working to build the necessary public infrastructure and funding systems to scale Universal Newborn Support Systems (UNSS) that provide free, voluntary short-term home visiting and referral services to every family at the birth of a new baby to make connections to the supportive services and resources they may need and want.  

Learn more about UNSS and read additional information. 

Start Early is inviting proposals to fund local planning activities to assess the feasibility and readiness of communities to implement a Universal Newborn Support System (UNSS). A required letter of interest and the full RFP are due in February; planning activities are anticipated to run from May through December 2026. This project is made possible through private funding. 

Application Documents

• Letter of Interest 
• RFP Application 

In September 2025, the Transition Advisory Council funding design workgroup shared a series of preliminary recommendations for how IDEC may approach redesigning funding for the early childhood system in Illinois. These recommendations, if adopted, would take effect in July of 2027. Here, Start Early provides suggestions for what the state might consider next. 

Alignment Recommendations:

Recommendation 1: Cluster early learning & care funding streams

We support the state’s goals of simplifying funding streams and decreasing the administrative burden that programs face, though questions remain about how this will be achieved.  

Our recommendations: 

• Allocate a designated portion of funds to infant and toddler services. 
• Provide clarification on how funding streams with different eligibility, use, and monitoring requirements will be aligned to ensure that programs do not lose flexibility. 
• Provide additional clarification on the role of Head Start in IDEC’s aligned funding plan. 
• Maintain flexibility to allow for the development of new program models in the future. 
• Develop a comprehensive plan for state or regional infrastructure to provide programs with supports such as health and I/ECMH consultation, pyramid model, and inclusion support. 

Recommendation 2: Cluster home visiting funding streams

We are supportive of combining Home Visiting (HV) funding and aligning administrative requirements, which advocates and the state funding commission have previously recommended.  

Our recommendations: 

• Maintain flexibility, ensuring that the restrictions of certain funding streams are not imposed on others. 
• Consolidate HV infrastructure supports (e.g. a single vendor for professional development, one for monitoring, etc.); ensure vendors have demonstrated HV expertise and prioritize continuity in effective vendors for system stability. 
• Encourage the use of models best designed to meet family needs, even if some models are more costly to implement.  
• Prioritize maximizing HV funding across all available sources, including Title IV-E (FFPSA) and Medicaid. 

Recommendation 3: Continue to fund early intervention and early childhood special education separately 

We agree with and support the state’s decision to continue to fund Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education separately from other programs. 

Our recommendations: 

• Explore the need for dedicated funding outside of ECSE and IDEA to support the inclusion of children with disabilities and developmental delays across all learning settings. 
• Significantly increase funding for Early Intervention. 

Distribution Recommendations:

Recommendation 1: Expand use of non-competitive grants or contracts for providers serving priority populations 

We support the state’s goals of both decreasing administrative burden and improving programs’ financial stability by expanding the use of non-competitive grants. 

Our recommendations: 

• Ensure that non-competitive grant allocations increase year over year, allowing programs the ability to maintain financial stability in the face of rising costs. 
• Provide clarification on how new programs will apply to receive funding under a non-competitive model, and the avenues available for existing grantees to request increased funding for additional slots. 
• Develop a plan to approach monitoring for long-term non-competitive grants, to ensure accountability. 
• Prioritize flexibility and develop support options available to programs to ensure that providers are able to address future challenges in a changing landscape.

Recommendation 2: Continue to use vouchers to maximize family choice 

While we recognize the flexibility that vouchers offer both parents and programs, we hope that the state will address longstanding concerns that families and providers have raised regarding their use. 

Our recommendations: 

• Ensure that payments are made in a timely manner. 
• Offset the instability programs experience that is inherently caused by attendance-based payments, or remove the attendance-based component altogether. 
• Increase reimbursement rates without relying on additional family contributions. 

Recommendation 3: Reserve use of competitive grants for short term or specialized funding 

We applaud the state’s willingness to maintain all distribution mechanisms, to account for future funding needs and unique scenarios. 

Our recommendation: 

• Ensure that competitive grant processes are streamlined and simplified to be inclusive of all providers, without creating an undue burden on small providers or community-based organizations. 

Adequacy Recommendations:

Recommendation 1: Define adequacy-based funding targets 

As the state develops funding targets, we encourage careful evaluation of existing assumptions and definitions of priority populations and adequacy to ensure that targets are reflective of current community needs.  

Our recommendations: 

• Account for programs that exist outside of state or federal funding structures, such as slots in private programs that affect saturation and regional needs.  
• Consider the true cost of care, paying special attention to variations in needs such as facilities and transportation, as well as provider ratios.  
• Consider the funding needed to ensure investment in technical assistance and coaching needed to build capacity, grow infrastructure, and strengthen quality across the system. 

Recommendation 2: Prioritize “next dollar in” 

We approve of the state’s plan to prioritize and address the greatest needs first, and we look forward to additional information about how these priorities will be determined, and the role of local and regional infrastructures in these decisions.  

Our recommendation: 

• Plan for how to consistently balance expansion with quality investments, ensuring that existing programs continue to receive needed support. 

With the passage of Public Act 103-0594 in June of 2024, work began to build the Illinois Department of Early Childhood. Since that time, under the leadership of Dr. Teresa Ramos (appointed in December, 2024), work has been underway to build a state agency, along with an ambitious process to examine the complex web of current early childhood programs, funding and standards as well as to try to understand what is most important to parents and providers across the state.  

July 1, 2026 represents an important milestone in this process when most early childhood programs are scheduled to transition from their legacy agencies — the IL Department of Human Services (Child Care Assistance Program, Early Intervention and home visiting programs); the IL State Board of Education (Early Childhood Block Grant – Preschool for All, Prevention Initiative); and the IL Department of Children and Family Services (day care licensing). 

Start Early has been a part of the early childhood landscape in Illinois for more than 40 years – having helped shape and grow Illinois’ early childhood programs like home visiting and doula services, the Early Childhood Block Grant and the unique Infant-Toddler Set-Aside, which has helped ensure that we have grown infant and toddler services alongside those for preschool-aged children. We have been in this work not only as a policy and advocacy organization, but importantly as an early childhood service provider and funder across the state. We also have the opportunity to work with our colleagues in Raising Illinois, the state’s infant-toddler coalition, to focus on issues most important to serving our expecting families, babies, toddlers and those who care for them. 

Illinois Action for Children, Latino Policy Forum and Start Early applaud new state protections for families, children and professionals in early childhood centers. The bill, HB 1312, passed in October and was signed into law today. Amid heightened immigration enforcement efforts, the new law is a critical step forward in ensuring that every young child in Illinois can learn and grow in a safe, welcoming environment.

Illinois’ early childhood system is strongest when young children, families and its professionals feel safe in programs they depend on each day. HB 1312 helps ensure that licensed child care centers remain trusted, stable spaces – especially during a time when heightened immigration enforcement has created fear, confusion and barriers to access for many families. 

Among the legislation’s requirements, programs must: 

• Adopt clear policies and plans for interacting with law enforcement conducting civil immigration enforcement, including reviewing warrants and subpoenas 
• Establish procedures for seeking parental consent before releasing personal records, reinforcing trust between families and providers 
• Maintain updated emergency contact documentation and safe drop-off and pick-up protocols, ensuring children are only released to designated caregivers
• Notify families of immigration enforcement activity occurring at a center, ensuring transparency during moments of heightened concern

The bill also:

• Prevents licensed child care programs from disclosing or threatening to disclose information about the actual or perceived citizenship or immigration status of a child or associated person, unless required by federal or state law
• Directs the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (DEC) to offer accessible tools, including family preparedness plans, guardianship resources and information about constitutional rights

Together, these protections intend to help reassure families that they and their children will be safe enrolling and fully participating in early childhood programs – an essential priority for the new Illinois Department of Early Childhood. When families feel secure, children are better able to learn, grow and thrive.

IMPLEMENTATION MUST BEGIN IMMEDIATELY

Passing HB 1312 is only the first step. We urge action at every level to support swift and consistent implementation across the state.

To the Federal Government: Reinstate and expand “Sensitive Locations” policies prohibiting immigration enforcement in and around early learning and care settings. Federal legislation, such as H.R. 1061, would codify these protections and ensure families can access education and care without fear. 

To Governor Pritzker and Illinois State Agencies: Begin implementation of this new law without delay. State agencies must allocate resources, offer training and provide technical assistance so providers can build strong, trauma-informed procedures that both protect children and ensure compliance. Illinois has led the nation in expanding early childhood access, and ensuring safety and belonging will help us continue to demonstrate such leadership.

To Early Childhood Providers and Centers: We recognize the extraordinary care and thoughtfulness that early childhood programs already demonstrate every day. Many providers across Illinois have begun developing policies and practices to ensure that children, families and staff feel safe and supported. A number of existing resources – such as family preparedness templates, sample communication tools and guidance for responding to federal enforcement activity – may be helpful as programs consider how to strengthen their own procedures while sustaining family-centered environments.

For Parents, Caregivers & Families: Engage, prepare and plan ahead.

• Engage: Ask your center what procedures are in place to ensure safety for children and staff.
• Prepare: Update your emergency pick-up information and ensure the center has current contact numbers and a list of trusted adults.
• Plan Ahead: Talk with loved ones about who can pick up your child if needed, where important documents are stored and how to stay connected during emergencies.

A SHARED COMMITMENT

As organizations committed to supporting the well-being and health of families and young children, we celebrate HB 1312 as an affirmation of Illinois’ values. We look forward to working with Governor Pritzker, state agencies, local leaders and early childhood programs to support successful implementation and ensure that every child – regardless of background or immigration status – can access the safe, nurturing early care and education they deserve.

“Across the country, we are seeing how immigration enforcement can disrupt the stability young children rely on and create fear for families and educators. We also see the strength of early childhood programs as they continue to show up for children every day. Illinois’ action today affirms that every child and educator deserves to learn and work in a safe, welcoming environment. We hope this moment encourages state and federal leaders to follow Illinois’ lead and advance policies that protect our littlest ones and the people who care for them.”

Celena Sarillo, Executive Director – Illinois, Start Early

“Illinois has taken a historic step to safeguard the places where our youngest children learn and grow. These protections will only be as strong as their implementation, and we call on state partners to move quickly with training, resources, and hands-on support for providers. Families and educators are counting on all of us to ensure these policies are carried out with dignity, compassion and respect.” 

Linda Xóchitl Tortolero, President and CEO of the Latino Policy Forum 

“This bill signing comes at a critical time given recent immigration enforcement activities, and we applaud our Illinois lawmakers for taking this crucial step toward protecting our children, educators, and child care providers. Child care centers must be safe havens, not places of confusion, fear, or violence. Illinois Action for Children and our partners stand ready to support swift implementation of these protections as we maintain our focus on uplifting children and all who care for them.”

April Janney, CEO, Illinois Action for Children

In 9 months, the newly formed Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) will administer most of our state’s early childhood programs and services. Child care licensing will transition from the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to the new agency and IDEC leadership has elevated licensing to one of its priority focus areas. This means that licensing will receive much needed updates to reflect the realities and experiences of child care educators and parents alike. As the department releases more information, Start Early will take a deeper dive into what these changes will mean for our child care landscape through a series of licensing blog posts.  

Start Early’s Point-of-View on Illinois’s Current Licensing System  

Our current licensing system is overly complicated and opaque, oftentimes leaving educators to navigate our complex system alone. Earlier this year, Start Early shared with IDEC leadership our concerns with the state’s current licensing system, along with recommendations for improvements.  

Below, we’ve highlighted some of the most significant pain points within child care licensing that we heard from educators through our engagement with the field and through our own organizational experience as a provider. 

• Background Check Delays: DCFS has not been able to establish adequate internal procedures to efficiently conduct background checks. Prospective employees  often wait several weeks for a background check clearance, leaving many to accept another job offer outside of the early care and education field. 
  • Recommendations: Create a background check portal that is user-friendly and has multiple capabilities to streamline background check processing (e.g. allows electronic signatures, clearly marks required fields, tracks progress, allows clearance letters to be printed). To allow for the creation of substitute pools, we also recommend that applications have the flexibility to be tied to more than one facility license number. Lastly, we asked IDEC to include a method to contact the background check unit for inquiries. 

• Inconsistencies Among Day Care Licensing Representatives (DCLRs): DCLRs’ knowledge and understanding of licensing policies and procedures vary, leading to an inconsistent application of licensing rules across programs. 
  • Recommendations: Conduct an audit of current DCLR training materials to understand where there are gaps and revise the orientation process. Streamline communication with DCLRs to ensure they are aware of and understand any changes to licensing policy or procedure. 

• Lack of Communication/Transparency: DCFS lacks a communication strategy with directors on a regular basis or across a common platform. Changes in licensing policy are typically communicated through DCLRs, who as mentioned above, do not have a uniform understanding of licensing policy. Also, information is scattered across various webpages, which oftentimes contain broken links.
  • Recommendation: Restart regional provider licensing forums as a space where educators may ask the Department questions. IDEC should also create a communication process to ensure that all educators receive the same information and understand how any changes to licensing policy should be applied. IDEC should create a central repository where all licensing-related documents are available to view and post facility monitoring reports in plain language. 

• Lack of Educator Support: Educators and center directors are often left to navigate complex licensing policies, with little-to-no support from DCFS. New providers wanting to enter the field are often overwhelmed with licensing standards.
  • Recommendation: IDEC should create policy interpretation guides, visuals, and resources that explain licensing policy in plain language, so licensing standards are easy for educators to understand and apply. Also, IDEC should translate all materials and designate a few Spanish speaking staff to offer technical assistance and support to Spanish speaking educators. 

For many parents of children with disabilities in Chicago, the 2025–2026 school year is off to a rocky start. Staffing changes at Chicago Public Schools’ Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) have been well-documented by the media, advocates, City Council and even OSD itself through a district-wide email. What has not been widely reported is how these sweeping changes are affecting the city’s youngest learners, for whom special education and related services are critical. 

Children with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) enrolled in community-based early childhood programs (CBOs) have long faced barriers to receiving services. Because supports are delivered through CPS schools, families must “dually enroll” their children, spending half the day in their community-based program and half in a CPS school. Families often choose community-based programs because of language and cultural needs, safety, convenience or the need for full-day care. But once a child is found eligible for special education, families face a difficult choice: accept the logistical and emotional strain of dual enrollment, or forgo services altogether. 

Making this dual enrollment model work has always required strong collaboration between community-based staff and OSD. Even then, delays and disruptions are common: 

• Transportation paperwork errors prevent buses from arriving. 
• Children are assigned to schools in other neighborhoods, raising safety concerns. 
• CPS staff misunderstand dual enrollment and refuse to implement it. 
• Families grow so frustrated by the back-and-forth that they give up on services. 

Ensuring parents and providers have access to and are heard by those making laws and decisions is crucial and an integral part of the way Illinois Policy Team does our advocacy and policy work. Start Early’s National Home Visiting Summit offers an opportunity to bring together early childhood leaders from across the country to advance the home visiting field. 

It is also a chance to participate in advocacy through Hill Visits and meeting with the Congressional delegation to talk about the importance and impact of home visiting and funding for these programs. During this year’s summit, Start Early Illinois helped coordinate a group of advocates, including leaders in the field, program directors, home visitors, professional development providers, and families to meet with our state’s delegation while in Washington, D.C. 

Parent advocacy in home visiting will be particularly important as the field prepares for the next reauthorization of the federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program. The program is authorized through Federal Fiscal Year 2027, which means that Congress will need to reauthorize the program before the following fiscal year. As the field gears up to educate lawmakers on the importance of home visiting and raise key priorities for strengthening MIECHV, we encourage you to stay tuned to Start Early’s advocacy communications.   

Ensuring parents and providers have access to and are heard by those making laws and decisions is crucial and an integral part of the way Illinois Policy Team does our advocacy and policy work. Start Early’s National Home Visiting Summit offers an opportunity to bring together early childhood leaders from across the country to advance the home visiting field. 

It is also a chance to participate in advocacy through Hill Visits and meeting with the Congressional delegation to talk about the importance and impact of home visiting and funding for these programs. During this year’s summit, Start Early Illinois helped coordinate a group of advocates, including leaders in the field, program directors, home visitors, professional development providers, and families to meet with our state’s delegation while in Washington, D.C. 

The Illinois home visiting workforce plays a critical role in supporting young children and families, ensuring they receive the care, guidance and resources they need for a strong start in life. Recognizing the importance of recruiting and retaining a highly qualified workforce, and at the request of numerous advocates and programs over many years, the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Early Childhood (IDHS-DEC) released salary floors for their home visiting workforce in FY23, to be required starting in FY25. The newly released FY25 Illinois Home Visiting Compensation Report demonstrates the significant progress made—but also highlights the continued need for investment as IDHS-DEC and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) home visiting programs transition to the newly created Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) in FY26. 

Why Salary Floors Matter

The introduction of salary floors—on the recommendation of advocates and the Health and Home Visiting committee of the Illinois Early Learning Council—was a key step in addressing workforce challenges including recruitment, staff retention, disparities between programs and systemic under-compensation. By ensuring home visitors and supervisors receive a minimum level of compensation, IDHS-DEC has made meaningful strides toward building a more stable and supported workforce. 

According to the report, 100% of home visitors in IDHS-DEC and MIECHV programs now meet or exceed the mandated salary floor. Furthermore, 88% of supervisors are now meeting the recommended salary levels, even though their salary floor was not required by the state. This progress underscores that setting clear compensation expectations can drive real change, as well as potentially improve other factors, such as retention and the quality of services. There is a need for additional data in this area to determine whether these salary floors are sufficient, as well as precisely how salaries impact other aspects of home visiting programs and workforce retention. With the creation of IDEC, the state now has the opportunity to build this data into the structure of the Illinois home visiting system going forward.