Illinois Action for Children

Provider services/provider resources - Illinois Action for Children works with licensed and license-exempt child care providers to support them through educational and professional development opportunities, as well as technical assistance and other valuable supports that help to enhance the care they provide. Illinois Action for Children and its community partners had more than 6,944 participants in nearly 495 trainings and workshops during the fiscal year ended june 30, 2023. Our early learning programs make early education available to young Children so that they will be ready to succeed when they start school. Our programs have created a national model for providing preschool to Children in home child care who would otherwise not have access to early education, and for training providers to become a child's first teacher.

PARENT SERVICES/CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL SERVICES - AS THE CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL AGENCY FOR COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS ACTION FOR CHILDREN CONNECTS CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WITH VITAL RESOURCES LIKE CHILD CARE REFERRALS, HEALTH SERVICES, AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT. IN FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2023, ALMOST 7,800 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES RECEIVED REFERRALS WHILE THOUSANDS MORE UNDER-SERVED CHILDREN ALSO HAD ACCESS TO LITERACY, MENTAL HEALTH, AND NUTRITION RESOURCES AS A RESULT OF ILLINOIS ACTION FOR CHILDREN'S WORK. ILLINOIS ACTION FOR CHILDREN WAS IN THE 3rd YEAR OF A 5 YEAR HEAD START GRANT FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (USDHHS) DURING FISCAL YEAR 2023. ILLINOIS ACTION FOR CHILDREN'S HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START LOCATIONS UTILIZE EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACHES TO SERVING LOW-INCOME CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN A RESPECTFUL, UNDERSTANDING PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM. CHILDREN RECEIVE SERVICES THAT PROMOTE CHILD DEVELOPMENT ACROSS MANY AREAS. IN FISCAL YEAR 2023 WE WERE ABLE TO SERVE 1,135 FAMILIES.

Certificate/family resources - Illinois Action for Children administers the child care assistance program (ccap) for the Illinois department of human services (idhs) in cook county. Ccap helps low-income families pay for child care that allows parents to work or go to school. During the fiscal year ended june 30, 2023, more than 55,991 families and nearly 95,245 Children were served by the ccap in cook county.

The public policy and advocacy program - Illinois Action for Children's public policy & advocacy program organizes more than 6,200 advocates statewide to connect with their elected officials and urge them to make the needs of Children and families, including expanded access to child care and early education, a priority in Illinois. Additionally, Illinois Action for Children's early learning programs make early education available to young Children while in child care so they will be ready to succeed when they start school. This work has included creating a national model for providing preschool to Children in home-based child care, as well as bringing certified teachers, child development experts, nutrition, and literacy training and books into these child care homes.