Over the Past Few Years, More Than 100 Child Care Programs have Closed in Winnebago and Boone Counties

July 6, 2026

Original coverage in WNIJ News by Peter Medlin.

A new report highlights early childhood needs in Winnebago and Boone counties.

In the past three years, 116 child care programs have closed in the two counties. That's more than in any region in the state outside of Chicago and Cook County, according to reports from Birth to Five Illinois.

Livia Bane is the regional council manager for Winnebago and Boone counties. She said new centers have opened as well.

"Some big steps back combined with some steps forward," she said, "so it makes you feel like the momentum is there, but we're still not equalizing the need with the demand and availability."

Of those 116 closures, 67 were license-exempt family child care homes, meaning at-home programs that serve three or fewer children. That is the most of any region in the state, including Chicago. In fact, it's more than twice as many as any other region.

Bane said she isn't exactly sure yet why so many of those programs closed in Winnebago and Boone counties.

She said there' s still a significant need for child care for parents who work nights and weekends.

The report also cites funding reductions to the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity Scholarship, or ECACE, which is intended to attract more early childhood workers.

"Historically, the early childhood field is not highly compensated," Bane said, "and so reducing those barriers truly made a difference for our region. With the reduction, we'll see a reduction in those that are entering the field."

At the same time, Bane said there are several initiatives aimed at making it easier for people who want to work in early childhood. She said Rock Valley College is in the process of becoming the only Illinois college outside of Chicago to receive accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Birth to Five Illinois has also partnering with The Workforce Connection in Rockford to develop an early childhood apprenticeship to fast-track new teachers to the classroom.

Overall, Bane said she remains optimistic. The state recently opened its new Department of Early Childhood, which she hopes will make the system easier for parents to navigate. Before the new agency, early childhood programs, services and administration were spread across multiple state agencies, making it difficult for parents and providers to find what they needed.

Bane's also excited about local collaborations, including Winning Start Winnebago, through which every baby born in the county will receive a "welcome newborn" kit and a visit from a health care provider.