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.
Region 54: What Families Say They Need
"Oftentimes, parents do not know what resources are available, therefore they do not know that their child can get that early start that they deserve."
Region 51: What Families Say They Need
"We need more resources in our community to help us understand our community… I want my children to have an education but do not know how to enroll them or where."
Region 48: What Families Say They Need
"I gave up my career to stay home because I couldn't find affordable care, waitlists, and my children having special needs…"
Region 41: What Families Say They Need
"We need an intervention plan in place before children are identified with a disability."
Region 39: What Families Say They Need
"We have a hard time recruiting qualified people to work in ECEC. We have to grow them into teachers…"
Region 35: What Families Say They Need
"We are a two-income household, working in education, and it is still a struggle. There are not a lot of options for child care centers and most home child care providers are filled."
Region 34: What Families Say They Need
"Raising kids costs money! Families cannot afford to raise children in our Region without assistance."
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 13: What Families Say They Need
"Teachers have voiced that being understaffed and not having resources or supports causes them to take on a larger load, which causes more stress and is pushing people out of the industry."
Region 12: What Families Say They Need
"…we simply need more local, quality, and affordable access to everything every day — child care, medical resources, community programs, and so much more."
Region 8: What Families Say They Need
"Without a workforce, we are only talking about problems and not taking action. Children must be served, but we need people to serve them…"
Region 3: What Families Say They Need
"My child, who is three years old, has had six different child care settings due to closures and staff turnover."
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-B: What Families Say They Need
"…information is vital to ensuring there is equity in the allocation of resources throughout the Region…"
Region 1-A: What Families Say They Need
“…many programs are just not designed for the lives of families…”