Get Involved
Action Center
Our coalition is made up of advocates of all kinds: early childhood providers, policy professionals, legislators, parents and community members, and we know that advocacy is nothing without action. Here in our Action Center, you'll find a variety of different actions that you can take in support of Illinois' infants, toddlers and expecting families. If you have an action you'd like to see here, send the information to communications@raisingillinois.org. Actions will be updated regularly, so check this space often and make sure you're following us on Twitter @RaisingIllinois for the latest updates!
Tell Congress: Protect Head Start
Think Babies
The Administration has proposed a new rule that ignores decades of evidence and eliminates important Head Start and Early Head Start requirements like child-to-staff ratios that keep children safe as well as many services for pregnant and postpartum moms, mental health services and many other comprehensive supports that have made Head Start and Early Head Start one of the nation’s most effective programs for babies, young children and families.
Contact your Members of Congress and urge them to tell the Administration: Don’t roll back Head Start protections!
Timeline: now-October 6
Lake County Early Childhood Community Action Forum
Illinois Action for Children
Join families, child care providers, educators, advocates, and community partners for a regional conversation about the latest state, federal, and local developments affecting young children and families in Illinois.
Learn about topics including the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC), child care and preschool access, funding and policy updates, and advocacy opportunities. You'll also have the chance to connect with local organizations, share community priorities, and help shape efforts to strengthen early childhood systems in Lake County.
Dinner, Spanish translation, and childcare will be provided!
Timeline: September 1, 5:30-7:30 pm
Free national virtual summit!
PN3 Capacity Building Hub powered by BUILD Initiative
Families across the country are seeking birth experiences that reflect their values and cultures through community birth centers, home birth, midwifery-led care, and other community-based models. These approaches can improve maternal and infant health outcomes, yet they still face real policy, financing, and systems-level barriers.
Join midwives, doulas, clinicians, policymakers, researchers, and community leaders for a day exploring how community birth can become a more accessible, sustainable, and integrated part of our health care system.
You'll walk away with:
- A clearer picture of community-based birth models and settings
- Insight into how midwives, doulas, and birth centers are advancing equitable maternal health
- Innovative financing and reimbursement strategies supporting community birth
- Promising practices and solutions from communities nationwide
Timeline: September 1
Schedule (all times ET):
- 12:00 – 1:00 PM — Session 1
- 2:00 – 3:00 PM — Session 2
- 4:00 – 5:00 PM — Session 3
URGENT: Protect Head Start!
Together For Head Start
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) that would fundamentally weaken the Head Start Program Performance Standards, the foundation of Head Start's high-quality early learning, health, family engagement and comprehensive services. These services are particularly critical for infants, toddlers and expecting families. Without Early Head Start and Head Start, even fewer families will have access to quality care when it is needed most.
Here in Illinois, too many families already struggle to access quality, affordable infant/toddler care. In addition, EHS provides expecting families key prenatal support and postpartum support including information, education, and services including evidence-based home visiting, filling the prenatal care gap that too many Illinoisans face. We cannot leave our youngest children and their families unsupported during the most vital window of their development, the first three years.
We've compiled educational materials, resources and webinars for advocates to boost their knowledge and take action today. Stay tuned as more resources will be added continually!
Get involved with the Early Childhood and Care Transition Advisory Committee (TAC)!
IDEC
The state has established the Early Childhood and Care Transition Advisory Committee (TAC), comprised of parents, providers, advocates, and experts with diverse perspectives from across the state, to serve as an external advisory committee as the state moves toward a single early childhood agency.
The TAC gathers stakeholder input in preparation for the transition, with a particular emphasis on understanding what families need from a comprehensive early childhood system for Illinois children.
Timeline:
- September 22, 2pm
Join the IFEI Coalition!
Illinois Families for Early Intervention
We are currently seeking Volunteers, Chairs, Co-Chairs, Executive Coordinators, and an Advocacy Director who are passionate about supporting families of infants and toddlers with disabilities or developmental delays—and who want to be part of meaningful, ethical, and family-centered change. Whether your strength is advocacy, outreach, organization, communication, or leadership, your voice and time can help us not only meet our mission—but surpass it.
Once you fill out the volunteer interest form you will receive an email prior to the meeting with the meeting login details! No matter your background, ALL are welcome!
Timeline: Ongoing! Meetings take place on the First Tuesday of each Month at 7:30pm, the next meeting will be September 1.
Fill Out A Digital Postcard with Your EI Story
Raising Illinois
We’re collecting real stories from families, educators, providers and advocates to share with legislators to amplify the transformative power of Early Intervention in communities across the state. You don't have to be an EI parent or provider to share your story, if any child in your life has been impacted by EI we'd like to hear about it!
Timeline: Ongoing
Make Your Voice Heard on Early Childhood Education and Care!
University of Illinois, Northwestern University and Western Illinois University
Calling all parents and caregivers!! Please complete a survey on your views of early childhood education in the state of Illinois. This survey is part of a research-practice partnership to understand how Multilingual children and families are currently being served in birth to five settings across our state and to develop training, support, and messaging that can help create equitable and accessible early learning experiences for multilingual learners and their families.
Timeline: Ongoing
Illinois Nontraditional-Hour Child Care Study (INCCS)
Erikson Institute
Over one in three young children in the U.S. are in child care during nontraditional hours (NTH; including early mornings, evenings, nights, and weekends). This project addresses critical gaps in knowledge about what quality looks like in child care; the experiences of families who search for and use NTH child care; the lived experiences of providers who offer care during these hours; and the types of supports needed to maintain, sustain, and grow the supply of NTH care. The knowledge gathered will provide IDHS and other states with new knowledge to inform policy development aimed at building supply and increasing equitable access, enhancing quality, and sustaining a thriving NTH child care workforce.
We invite you to read the report, and continue to check this space for updates! This study will continue into 2026.
Disclaimer: The foregoing is publicly available information about upcoming events, resources, and reminders from third-party organizations. In some cases, Raising Illinois & Start Early have included links to other websites that are not owned or controlled in any way by Raising Illinois or Start Early, but that contain additional information about the events, resources or reminders. By clicking on any of the links above, you agree to be directed to the external website and you acknowledge and agree that Raising Illinois & Start Early shall not be held responsible or accountable for any information contained on such site. Please note that Raising Illinois & Start Early do not monitor any of the websites linked herein and do not endorse or approve any information posted on any such sites.