“The scavenger hunt is a fun reminder that learning happens everywhere—not just in classrooms,” said Bridget English, Regional Council Manager for Birth to Five Illinois Region 1..

Birth to Five Illinois: Region 1 encouraged the formation of a dedicated group to raise awareness of the impact of declining child care for families and businesses. Their first step is awareness building.

Bridget English, Region 1 Council Manager, talks about the importance of developmental screenings and her Councils’ plan to raise awareness of services for early screenings.

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.

Birth to Five Illinois: Region 1, part of the The Pike County Child Care Task Force (PCCCTF), will recognize local child care providers at “Provider Palooza”.

Congratulations to Brittany Peterson, the Birth to Five Illinois: Region 1 Family & Community Engagement Specialist, for being recognized as one of the 2025 ‘20 under 40’ by the Jacksonville Journal-Courier!

Birth to Five Illinois: Region 1 Council Manager, Bridget English, and former Region 1 Action Council Member (2022-2024), April Darringer, talk about the Pike County Childcare Task Force, and encourage community members to share their opinion via the SWOT survey on Facebook.

The Region 1 Council Manager and Family & Community Engagement Specialist were interviewed by the community-driven work underway in Adams, Brown, Cass, Morgan, Pike, and Scott Counties.

A new infrastructure is trying to address Illinois' early childhood needs at the local level. The infrastructure is designed to bring community, family and provider voices to the forefront of both local and state policy decisions.

“We want to make sure families and communities are at the center of our decision-making. We hope for big things.”