The Carole Robertson Center for Learning celebrates the landmark signing of Senate Bill 1 (SB1), which authorizes the Department of Early Childhood Act. This transformative legislation consolidates early childhood services under one unified state agency and heralds a new era of investment in Illinois’ youngest learners.
As an early childhood education provider, the Center is grateful to members of the Illinois Senate, Illinois House of Representatives, and Governor Pritzker for recognizing the value and stability that early learning and care bring to communities, and we commend the steadfast support of SB1.
Our commitment to the children and families we serve is anchored in the belief that high-quality early learning is a public good. However, for too long, families and providers have spent precious time and resources navigating a complex bureaucracy that often causes confusion and gaps in service delivery.
The Department of Early Childhood is the first step in reimagining a more streamlined early learning and care system to ensure that every young child has access to the program that best fits their needs.
An integral component of this transformation is meaningful stakeholder engagement. Leading one of those efforts is Carole Robertson Center President & CEO Bela Moté. Bela serves as Chair of the Early Childhood Education and Care Transition Advisory Committee (TAC), a diverse group of early learning providers, community-based organizations, and families.
Their expertise, lived experiences, and continued championship will help shape the way for a simpler, better, and fairer early childhood system. In the months ahead, the TAC, in partnership with the State Transition Director and many others, will work together to release a report in December 2025 that summarizes stakeholder input and recommendations on how to continue centering families and provides within the new early childhood agency.
As we celebrate this milestone, we recommit to the ideals of equity, access, and quality in early childhood education. We look forward to working alongside other families, providers, advocates, funders, and state partners in the months ahead!
Publication Date: June 25, 2024
What does this entail for independent daycare centers in the state of Illinois?
Illinois’ early learning and care programs are currently administered by three agencies – the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Department of Children and Family Services. Navigating the guidelines and parameters of each agency has proven to be burdensome for providers, who are often pulled away from direct service in order to navigate the bureaucracy of these state agencies.
The charge of the Early Childhood and Care Transition Advisory Committee is anchored in elevating the experiences of families across the state so that, once operational, the agency is more streamlined and less cumbersome for providers and families.
To learn more about engagement opportunities, please visit the Illinois Department of Early Childhood: https://idec.illinois.gov/idec-education-care-transition-planning/engagement-opportunities-and-listening-sessions.html