See what local families say they need for their children across the State
Family Stories
Birth to Five Illinois is on a mission to shift the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) landscape across Illinois by centering the voices and experiences of families. Where there are families, there are stories: stories of bureaucracy and systemic shortcomings, and stories of families and children thriving in the face of compassionate providers and exemplary services. We are here for it all!
Birth to Five Illinois has created this welcoming space for parents and caregivers to share their family story of ECEC challenges and successes. It is our hope that as families share their stories, we will amplify the disparities in the system so we can work collectively and strategically to mend what is broken, while also celebrating what’s working.
If you have a story to share, please visit our submission page.
Overstimulation - By Anonymous
Our son was diagnosed with Autism. That's where it stopped. There were no resources or services offered, not even a list of resources.
The Struggles of a Single Mom - By the Durbin Family
Child care waiting lists are so long, and the cost for public, private, licensed, and/or unlicensed care is wild.
Region 53: What Families Say They Need
"Child care is expensive out of pocket. Not all families qualify for CCAP due to making too much money but could use the help."
Region 44: What Families Say They Need
"We can't open the economy until we open the child care centers…"
Region 34: What Families Say They Need
"Raising kids costs money! Families cannot afford to raise children in our Region without assistance."
Region 31: What Families Say They Need
"When you don't quality for help, there isn't anything out there for you. You have to be able to pay for it on your own…"
Region 24: What Families Say They Need
"…the bottom line here is that the threshold for income qualifications should be increased to fit the needs of families."
Region 21: What Families Say They Need
"As a staff person from a child care center, the $1 copay (for staff that would quality for the Child Care Assistance Program) has allowed me to reenter the workforce in a profession that I love."
Region 20: What Families Say They Need
"Early Intervention services are extremely limited, because there are currently no professionals in some of our communities…"
Region 19: What Families Say They Need
"The system needs to adapt to the needs of families, and logistical barriers should not be a reason a child misses accessing needed services."
Region 16: What Families Say They Need
"It's so hard to find good care for an affordable price that covers actual working hours for the average person… not just 9:00am – 5:00pm, but all shifts."
Region 1-B-D: What Families Say They Need
"Children with special needs are further at a disadvantage in receiving services in a preschool setting with the slot gap with the slot gap because of number of slots, splitting time between schools, and transportation issues."
Region 1-B-C: What Families Say They Need
"I decided to stay out of work, because I was going to be working just to pay for child care."
Region 1-B-B: What Families Say They Need
"…information is vital to ensuring there is equity in the allocation of resources throughout the Region…"
Good, Dependable, Affordable Child Care is Pretty Much Nonexistent – By Breanna Kobus
Knowing it would be next to impossible to find a sitter that could handle his condition and his colostomy bag, I kept him in the salon while I worked, which wasn’t always easy.
Inclusive Care for All Children - By Aurea Garvin
All children deserve a chance to grow, learn, and thrive regardless of how much their parents make.
What We Need - Danielle Jackson
It is cheaper for me to drive 1,100 miles a month to take my kids to my family to watch them…
17 Years Searching for Quality Child Care, and Still More to Go! - By Anonymous
We have also had instances where one child was at a home-based child care center in one part of the county, and another one was at a different home-based child care center simply because there weren't openings for both of them in the same place or any others.
All-in Advocacy - By Lisa Burnett (Mother to Livia Bane, Region 4 Council Manager)
When the cry for help came to encourage lawmakers to continue to fund child care and providers, my family and I were all-in.
Finding Day Care - By Erica Hanke-Young
I feel like the thing we need most is information on child care early enough for us to make a plan. I will need information and enough time to figure out what to do for our family.