Spreading the Word as We Strive for Equity

Scroll down to read all Birth to Five Illinois news coverage, or you can click to read the coverage from your Region.

Region 1
Region 1-A
Region 1-B-B
Region 1-B-C
Region 1-B-D
Region 3

Region 4
Region 8
Region 9
Region 11
Region 12
Region 13

Region 16
Region 17
Region 19
Region 20
Region 21
Region 24

Region 26
Region 28
Region 30
Region 31
Region 32
Region 33

Region 35
Region 39
Region 40
Region 41
Region 44

Region 45
Region 47
Region 48
Region 49
Region 50

Region 51
Region 53
Region 54
Region 56

ALL REGIONS

Guest User 7/30/25 Guest User 7/30/25

YMCA Vision 2030 Unveiled

Working alongside the community to advocate for increased child care is leading to big changes in Birth to Five Illinois: Region 8! Vision 2030 includes child care for 200 kids, doubling what the area currently has available.

Guest User 5/13/25 Guest User 5/13/25

Baby Essentials Available at ‘No Child Wet Behind’ Diaper Drive in Freeport

The Birth to Five Illinois: Region 8 Team and Council members handed out diapers and shared community resources at this fifth annual event.

Guest User 2/7/25 Guest User 2/7/25

Another WCCI In Touch Interview with Birth to Five Illinois: Region 8

Lou Ann Hayes (Region 8 Council Manager) returns to WCCI to discuss child care as foundational to community and economic well-being, as well as the critical need for more child care options in Carroll, Jo Daviess, and Stephenson Counties.

Guest User 1/10/25 Guest User 1/10/25

Freeport Women Donate Winter Wear

Birth to Five Illinois: Region 8 partners with location organizations to give warm winter wear to young children.

Guest User 9/17/24 Guest User 9/17/24

WCCI In Touch Interview with Lou Ann Hayes from Birth to Five Illinois: Region 8

Lou Ann Hayes returns to WCCI to discuss how her Team and community Councils have moved the needle on the needs and recommendations in their Early Childhood Regional Needs Assessment.

Guest User 9/3/24 Guest User 9/3/24

Freepod Interviews Lou Ann Hayes

FREEPOD and TimBeck2 host Tim Connors speaks with Lou Ann Hayes of Birth to Five Illinois in Freeport, a statewide organization providing equitable access to inclusive, high-quality Early Childhood services for all children and families in Illinois.

Guest User 8/5/24 Guest User 8/5/24

'It's Very Sad': Reports Detail the Lack of Mental and Behavioral Health Providers for Northern Illinois Kids

NPR’s Peter Medlin interviews the Birth to Five Illinois Regional Council Managers from Region 4 (Boone & Winnebago Counties) and Region 8 (Carroll, Jo Daviess, & Stephenson Counties) about the mental and behavioral health gaps and needs in northern Illinois.

Guest User 7/10/24 Guest User 7/10/24

Want Economic Development? Change A Diaper!

The Birth to Five Illinois: Region 8 Team discuss the link between child care and economic development in this Village Voices article.

Guest User 1/3/24 Guest User 1/3/24

Teacher’s Lounge Podcast: Some of Our Best Education Stories of 2023

This highlight of the best education stories of 2023 includes the work of Birth to Five Illinois in identifying systems barriers and access challenges for families!

Guest User 11/30/23 Guest User 11/30/23

Region 8 Interview on WCCI Radio

Listen to the interview with Region 8 Council Manager, Lou Ann Hayes, on WCCI Radio!

Guest User 3/23/23 Guest User 3/23/23

Illinois Just Made Big Early Childhood Investments. But Services Like Daycare and Preschool are Nearly Impossible for Many Families to Access.

We know this from neuroscience and from brain development that the better start we can give children, the better the outcomes for children. For many in early childhood, it’s refreshing to see the state begin to take it seriously.