Early Learning and Developmental Guidelines

Lead Agencies must develop, maintain, or implement early learning and developmental guidelines appropriate for children from birth to kindergarten entry. Early learning and developmental guidelines should describe what children should know and be able to do at different ages and cover the essential domains of early childhood development, which at a minimum includes cognition, including language arts and mathematics; social, emotional, and physical development; and approaches toward learning.

6.4.1 Early learning and developmental guidelines

a. Check the boxes below to certify the Lead Agency's early learning and developmental guidelines are:

i. Research-based.

ii. Developmentally appropriate.

iii. Culturally and linguistically appropriate.

iv. Aligned with kindergarten entry.

v. Appropriate for all children from birth to kindergarten entry.

vi. Implemented in consultation with the educational agency and the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or similar coordinating body.

vii. If any components above are not checked, describe:

b. Check the boxes below to certify that the required domains are included in the Lead

Agency's early learning and developmental guidelines.

i. Cognition, including language arts and mathematics.

ii. Social development.

iii. Emotional development.

iv. Physical development.

v. Approaches toward learning.

vi. Other optional domains. Describe any optional domains: Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards includes the following Domains: Science, Social Studies, Arts, English Language Learner Home Language Development.

vii. If any components above are not checked, describe:

c. When were the Lead Agency's early learning and developmental guidelines most recently updated and for what reason? The original version of the Illinois Early Learning Standards (IELS) were published in 2002. The Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards (IELDS) were completed in 2013. The Illinois Early Learning Guidelines (IELG) for Birth to Age 3 were developed in 2012. The IELDS and IELG are updated approximately every 10 years or as needed based on local and national outcomes in early learning. It is also important to note here that Governor Pritzker announced in October of 2023 that he plans to launch a unified early childhood standalone state agency, The Illinois Department of Early Childhood by July 2026. This will help unify and streamline early childhood services and system delivery, including implementation and development of updated IELS and IELG.

d. Provide the Web link to the Lead Agency's early learning and developmental guidelines. Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards: For Preschool 3 years old to Kindergarten Enrollment Age (isbe.net)

6.4.2 Use of early learning and developmental guidelines

a. Describe how the Lead Agency uses its early learning and developmental guidelines. The Lead Agency ensures that child care providers receive training on the use of the Illinois Early Learning Guidelines (IELG) for Birth to Age 3 and the Illinois Early Learning & Development Standards (IELDS) through the Illinois Trainers Network. These trainings are available in English and Spanish and may be taken face-to-face, virtually, and online. In addition, all curriculum funded by the Lead Agency is aligned with both the IELG and IELDS as appropriate. Technical assistance (TA) on the IELG and IELDS is included in the TA and training available as part of ExceleRate Illinois. Child care providers working with infants and toddlers have access to TA through the CCR&R Infant Toddler Child Care Specialists. Child care providers working with preschool-age children have access to this TA through the CCR&R Quality Child Care Specialists. The state incorporates the IELG and IELDS into the statewide child care system. This includes training required for program quality improvement standards, education, professional credentials, and requirements for programs in quality improvement standards to implement curriculum/learning activities that have been aligned with the IELG and/or IELDS.

b. Check the boxes below to certify that CCDF funds are not used to develop or implement an assessment for children that:

i. Will be the primary or sole basis to determine a child care provider ineligible to participate in the CCDF.

ii. Will be used as the primary or sole basis to provide a reward or sanction for an individual provider.

iii. Will be used as the primary or sole method for assessing program effectiveness.

iv. Will be used to deny children eligibility to participate in CCDF.

v. If any components above are not checked, describe:

7 Quality Improvement Activities

The quality of child care directly affects children's safety and healthy development while in care settings, and high-quality child care can be foundational across the lifespan. Lead Agencies may use CCDF for quality improvement activities for all children in care, not just those receiving child care subsidies. OCC will collect the most detailed Lead Agency information about quality improvement activities in annual reports instead of this Plan.

Lead Agencies must report on CCDF child care quality improvement investments in three ways:

In this Plan, Lead Agencies will describe the types of activities supported by quality investments over the 3-year period.

An annual expenditure report (the ACF-696). Lead Agencies will provide data on how much CCDF funding is spent on quality activities. This report will be used to determine compliance with the required quality and infant and toddler spending requirements.

An annual Quality Progress Report (the ACF-218). Lead Agencies will provide a description of activities funded by quality expenditures, the measures used to evaluate its progress in improving the quality of child care programs and services within the State/Territory, and progress or barriers encountered on those measures.

In this section of the Plan, Lead Agencies will describe their quality activities needs assessment and identify the types of quality improvement activities where CCDF investments are being made using quality set-aside funds.