Listen to the Birth to Five Illinois: Region 9 (Champaign & Ford Counties) Team on WEFT 90.1FM!

The groundbreaking of Educare Lake County (Birth to Five Illinois: Region 34) demonstrates the powerful effect of listening and responding to community needs.

Jill Duden (Region 9 Council Manager) goes live on the Rantoul Roundup to talk about the impact of Birth to Five Illinois and offer listeners the opportunity to join the Councils in Champaign and Ford Counties.

Bridget English, Birth to Five Illinois: Region 1 Council Manager, and other Early Childhood leaders urge community members and organizations to start conversations aimed at expanding child care access in Scott County.

Jill Duden, Region 9 Council Manager, encourages parents, caregivers, educators, and community members from Ford and Champaign counties to join our Action and Family Councils.

A new parent resource guide. A new child care center. Community meetings. Grandparent Cafes. Join our Councils! LouAnn Hayes talks progress for children and families in Carroll, Jo Daviess, and Stephenson Counties (Region 8).

Watch Jill Duden, Region 9 Council Manager (Champaign & Ford Counties) build a community trail mix as an analogy for the Birth to Five Illinois Action and Family Councils.

The Birth to Five Illinois: Region 16 (DeKalb County) Team and Councils are hosting a Strong Minds, Healthy Families Community Panel Discussion.

Listen to our Council Managers from Regions 20, 21, and 30 talk about how Birth to Five Illinois is supporting families and Early Childhood programs in southern Illinois.

Birth to Five Illinois: Regions 8, 9, 17, 28, and 54 got more coverage for their Parent Cafés!

Birth to Five Illinois: Region 51 partnered with Tierra Lee, owner of Tiki Tots Child Care, to host an autism awareness event that connected families to Early Childhood resources.

Parent Cafés, developed by Be Strong Families, are a tool that Birth to Five Illinois uses to have intentional small group conversations with families across Illinois. Sign up now in Regions 21 and 31!

A special Week of the Young Child Declaration Celebration was held on April 17th, 2026, in Region 51 to bring community leaders together to highlight the critical importance of Early Childhood development. 

Listen from 27:10 to 27:50 for the shout-out to the Birth to Five Illinois: Region 24 Team and Councils for all they are doing to support families in Grundy and Kendall Counties!

Birth to Five Illinois: Region 28 has partnered with locally owned establishments to offer a week of special deals to recognize the Week of the Young Child across Bureau, Henry and Stark counties.

“Supporting young children and families requires a coordinated, community-wide approach,” said Valerie Varju, Regional Council Manager for Birth to Five Illinois: Region 19. “This proclamation highlights the importance of working together to ensure families can access the resources and supports they need during the most critical years of development.”

Nicole Bach, Region 44 Council Manager (McHenry County) provides Birth to Five Illinois updates on the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce Business Bites podcast!

Birth to Five Illinois: Regions 8, 9, 17, 28, and 54 are hosting Parent Cafés!

Jill Duden (Regional Council Manager for Birth to Five Illinois: Region 9) and Lauren Wallace (lead parent educator for Jumpstart in Ford County) discuss the benefits of home visiting in this Ford County Chronicle article.

Birth to Five Illinois: Region 31 (Kane County), the Kane County Health Department, Enriching Partnerships for Early Learning, and Elgin Area School District U-46 are offering virtual Parent Cafés in Spanish and English.