See what local families and community members say they need for their children across the State
Family & Community Stories
Birth to Five Illinois has created a space for families and community members in every Illinois Region to share their experiences with local Early Childhood programs and services. Through stories about challenges and successes, we can identify the issues and work collectively to mend what is broken, while also celebrating what is working.
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 11: What Families Say They Need
"…it got to the point where we were donating items for [the school] to use because they didn't have the resources to get those things…"
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 4: What Families Say They Need
"Pay for Early Childhood staff and teachers is incredibly low. Truly, not a livable wage…"
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-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-A: What Families Say They Need
“…many programs are just not designed for the lives of families…”
Providers Need Love Too! - By Jasmine Castro
My greatest success has been the EXCEPTIONAL experiences my toddler has had with his provider.
Child Care - By Anonymous
If working at a child care center offered a livable wage, then retention would be higher and families and children would benefit immensely.