Below are resources for early childhood professionals and those serving the early childhood community.

Preschool Development Grants Boosted Access to High-Quality Care, Report Says   The 18 states that received federal Preschool Development Grants have collectively worked to increase the number of high-quality slots available for children from low- and moderate-income families, according to the latest progress report on the grant program released by the U.S. Department of Education. (Education Week)

Illinois Families and School Success website   This site offers resources for families and school staff. The Illinois Families and School Success (IL-FSS) website is your gateway to evidence-based resources about ways families can be involved in the education and learning of their children in Title 1 programs, pre-K through high school. Check out the new, inspiring success videos now available!

Accountability for early education-a different approach and some positive signs   Early childhood education in the United States is a tangle of options-varying in quality, price, structure, and a range of other dimensions. As a result, children start kindergarten having had very different experiences in care and very different opportunities to develop the skills and dispositions that will serve them well during school. Systematic differences across groups by income, race, ethnicity, home language, and geographic location are particularly troubling because inequalities that appear early are often sustained through school and affect prospects throughout life.  Convincing research has demonstrated that high-quality early childhood programs can reduce these differences across groups. However, a range of research also shows that many early childhood programs do not have positive long-term effects.

Three out of four Illinois kids aren’t ready for kindergarten. Why that’s a problem.  Three out of four Illinois children starting kindergarten aren’t prepared. That’s according to data released by the Illinois State Board of Education in conjunction with a power list of early childhood advocates who’ve spent nearly a decade lobbying for a baseline assessment.