AFC Policy Platform - Illinois Action for Children

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Creating a Universal Early LearningSystem for All Families Who Choose ItIllinois is at a critical juncture in itsefforts to create a strong system of earlylearning for all children. There is no doubtthat progress has been steady and significantaccomplishments have been achieved.However, there is much more work to bedone to ensure that the most vulnerablefamilies and children reap the full benefitsof programs that support both family selfsufficiencyand high quality preschool education.Action for Children believes in creating avoluntary system of “universal preschool”that is accessible to all families whochoose it. This system must be built uponthe current delivery systems of child care,Head Start and Pre-Kindergarten—thestrengths of which should be maintained,while administrative barriers preventingeffective collaboration are broken down.This system must also support the needsof working families and respect theirchoices with regard to the type of carethey choose for their children. Finally,“universal preschool” must include childrenages birth to three in order to build acomprehensive voluntary system of carethat prepares young children to enterschool ready to succeed. Given Illinois’diversity, no one approach will work inall communities, therefore local inputand flexibility is essential to the successof any plan.Talk of “universal preschool” has beenbuilding in Illinois for several years,and Action for Children has always beenat the forefront of these conversations.Most recently, Action for Children, alongwith other advocacy groups, advocated forcreating the Early Learning Council.Signed into law by Governor Blagojevichin July of 2003, the Council’s goal is todevelop a statewide system of high qualityearly learning, serving children age fiveand younger. The Council will report itsrecommendations to the Governor andGeneral Assembly annually. Action forChildren is proud to be both an appointedmember of the Early Learning Counciland a key partner in two campaignsworking to strengthen early learning:Chicago Partners for Children and EarlyLearning Illinois.We are working to improve service coordinationand collaboration between HeadStart, child care and Pre-K, as well as:• Identifying service gaps and barriersto early care and education for familiesin Chicago;• Developing and testing new collaborativemodels for providing high quality,educationally enriched child care thatmeets families’ needs; and• Providing education and securing publicsupport, as well as political commitment,for early learning across the state.The policy statements in this publicationwork not only to strengthen the child careprofession and support working families,but also to lay a strong foundation foruniversal access to preschool in Illinois.
To provide the best outcomes for childrenand the best options for parents, Action forChildren will:• Advocate for increased investment inchild care to secure its infrastructure;• Support increased professionaldevelopment opportunities for child careprofessionals; and• Promote quality in child care settings.Child care is the cornerstone of auniversal preschool system in Illinois,serving an estimated 200,000 childrenin 2004 through the state’s Child CareAssistance program. Action for Childrenwill work to ensure that children andworking families come first as the systemis designed and implemented.
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AFC Policy Platform - Illinois Action for Children

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