What is Early Learning Illinois?

Early Learning Illinois is a campaign that is rallying people across the state to help ensure that all children should be healthy, eager to learn and ready to succeed in school. The campaign aims to raise support for improving and expanding early learning options for all children – starting at birth – and supporting parents in their role as children’s first teachers. The campaign works with the governor and state lawmakers in promoting policies and funding in order to provide high-quality, accessible early learning opportunities.

Who is part of the Early Learning Illinois campaign? How is the campaign funded?

The campaign involves parents, the early childhood care and education workforce, civic and business leaders, policymakers and lawmakers. The lead partners are Action for Children (formerly the Day Care Action Council of Illinois), Ounce of Prevention Fund and Voices for Illinois Children. These three organizations have been working individually as well as together in a broad effort to improve and expand early learning opportunities in Illinois. The Early Learning Illinois campaign is funded by a grant from the Trust for Early Education and the Pew Charitable Trusts. Only four states have received funding, positioning Illinois as a potential national leader in this area.

Why is the Early Learning Illinois campaign important now?

Our elected officials need to know what voters care about. Surveys indicate that a growing majority of voters in Illinois and nationwide support increasing state investments in high-quality early learning programs (National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University survey August 2002; Voices for Illinois Children survey May 2001). Voters need to tell their elected officials that improving and expanding early learning opportunities is important to children’s future and a vital investment in their success.

What is new about Early Learning Illinois? It seems like I’ve heard about this before.

Early Learning Illinois is a campaign with a familiar theme of expanding and improving early learning options for all families. Illinois has recognized the importance of investing in children’s earliest years, but the current patchwork system leaves thousands of children without high-quality, affordable early learning experiences. The campaign draws upon the best ideas of previous initiatives in promoting the development of a comprehensive early learning policy. The Early Learning Illinois campaign brings a new, high-profile focus to this critical issue in order to create a comprehensive state policy that gives all Illinois children the opportunity to succeed in school. Click here to endorse the campaign.

What does Early Learning Illinois hope to accomplish?

The Early Learning Illinois campaign has several goals:

• Mobilize parents, educators, business and civic leaders, policymakers and legislators around this critical issue.

• Hold a series of community dialogues that focus on the value and benefits of early learning.

• Make improving and expanding early learning opportunities a top priority for elected officials, including the governor.

• Increase voter registration among parents and others who care about our youngest children.

• Work with lawmakers to promote policies and seek funding to support parents and provide voluntary, accessible, high-quality preschool to all 3- and 4-year-olds as part of our goal of improving and expanding early learning opportunities for all children, starting at birth.

Is Early Learning Illinois suggesting that all 3- and 4-year-olds should be in school?

The campaign is NOT promoting mandatory preschool. Early Learning Illinois supports the many choices parents make for their children, including center- and home-based child care, Head Start, preKindergarten and stay-at-home parenting. The campaign does believe, however, that any family who wants to send their children to preschool should be able to do so, and that a child’s preschool experience should be of the highest quality.

Why are a child’s earliest years so important?

All parents want what is best for their child. Children need to be nurtured from their earliest years to help ensure a successful future for themselves and for their community. Just as children need food to help their bodies grow, they also need to have their minds developed. External influences are part of a child’s fuel for development – like a stimulating environment that feeds their curiosity, and caring and consistent relationships that build their sense of security. Studies show that children who experience high-quality early learning opportunities do better in school and become productive members of society. These opportunities can be at home with a parent, in the care of a relative or in a child care or preschool program.

What early learning opportunities are provided in Illinois? Is there a better way?

Quality child care, Head Start, state PreKindergarten, programs that support families (such as Healthy Families Illinois) and other efforts nurture the many ways children develop and learn. But good programs can be hard to find and often are too expensive for the average family. Many young children don’t have access to quality preschool opportunities and struggle once they begin school.

Illinois needs a thoughtful system of comprehensive early learning services for young children ages birth to 5 and their parents. This system will ensure that all children are healthy, eager to learn and ready to succeed by the time they enter school. It must build upon and improve coordination between existing programs. Parents must have early learning options that meet their scheduling, location and financial needs and support for their critical role. The early childhood workforce must receive opportunities for training, support and better compensation.

How do we achieve the Early Learning Illinois vision?

Illinois can begin working toward a comprehensive system of early learning services by building upon the strengths of existing programs and easing programmatic barriers that now prevent some programs from working together to the benefit of children. A wide range of resources and supports that help parents succeed in their job of raising children must be expanded. These crucial supports include health and social services, child abuse prevention and parent education programs. A local needs assessment of preschool availability will guide improvement and expansion of existing preK, child care and Head Start programs. The early childhood workforce can be improved by phasing in higher teacher standards, providing higher-education training opportunities and raising pay accordingly. Reimbursement rates paid to providers who accept child care subsidies can be raised to better reflect real market rates and support quality programs.

How much would the Early Learning Illinois vision cost?

How much is a child’s future worth? The big vision for Early Learning Illinois will require a big financial investment phased in over many years. The bottom line is that big investment will pay off down the line in terms of reduced social costs and higher workforce productivity – which means greater tax revenue. Now is the time to begin.

Illinois has a strong foundation upon which to build a comprehensive early learning system. Especially during tough economic times, Illinois must spend its education dollars wisely. The first step is to maximize those resources already available and then make it a top public priority to add more resources. As the old saying goes, “Pay me now, or pay me later.”

For more information, contact Julie Parente.