For children from birth to age 3 years, early childhood provides funding for the Prevention Initiative for Programs Offering Coordinated Services to At-Risk Children and Their Families to include a parental training component.  The aim of Prevention Initiative is to provide early, continuous, intensive and comprehensive child development and family support services to help families build a strong foundation for learning to prepare children for later school success.

For children from 3 to 5 years old, early childhood provides funding for the Preschool for All Children program and the continuing Prekindergarten Program for Children at Risk of Academic Failure.  The long term goal of the Preschool for All Children program is to provide educational services to all 3- to 5-year-old children whose families choose to participate.  The Preschool for All Children program focuses on providing high-quality educational programs for children who are determined to be at risk of academic failure.  It also provides funding for programs serving families of low to moderate income whose children are not considered to be at risk academically and other families that choose to participate.

Early Childhood Special Education programs for children ages three to five are part of the special education continuum as operated by the public schools of Illinois. While the Illinois Department of Human Services is the lead agency for special education services for children ages birth to three, ISBE Early Childhood staff act as liaisons to that program.

The Even Start Family Literacy program is a federally funded program designed to break the cycle of illiteracy by improving educational opportunities for low income families. Early Childhood, Adult Literacy, Parenting Education and Interactive Literacy Activities between parents and their children are required components of this grant.

Kindergarten Corner includes the Kindergarten Early Learning Standards, Kindergarten Data, Featured Experts, and Kindergarten Resources as part of the comprehensive plan for supporting teachers, administrators and parents of kindergarten children.

If you have further questions about Early Childhood services in the State of Illinois, please feel free to contact the Early Childhood Division at 217/524-4835.