Illinois Early Childhood Groups Urge More Developmental Screenings for Young Children

June 23, 2026

Original coverage in My Journal Courier by Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree.

With roughly 39% of Illinois children between the ages of 9 months and 35 months receiving developmental screenings during the 2022-23 school year, early childhood organizations are educating families about the importance of early screenings to better support children's development.

According to Kids Count data released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, only 39% of Illinois children and 36% of children nationwide between 9 months and 35 months old received developmental screenings.

Developmental screenings are an important part of a child's growth and can allow parents, medical professionals and education professionals to identify areas where a child may need support, said Bridget English, regional council manager for Region 1 at Birth to Five Illinois.

"There are several screening tools that are used and they are all based on assessing a child's progress," English said.

Birth to Five Illinois announced during a meeting last week the start of an initiative to raise awareness of services for early screenings through medical offices, child care centers, educational settings and other organizations.

There is always a push for screenings for children ages 3 to 5 years in the spring, when students are being registered for programs, with screenings done through local school districts or organizations, she said. 

She would like that same informational push to happen for earlier screenings, English said. 

"Our focus is on informing parents how to access these resources," she said. 

In Region 1, which covers Adams, Brown, Cass, Morgan, Pike and Scott counties, each school district has some type of center-based program for children ages 3 to 5, but only seven districts have home-based programs for younger children.

"Having access to a home visitor, you can get screenings in home," English said. "Once you get screenings, if there is a delay identified, they can make a referral to early intervention."

Early intervention can provide access to various therapies or supports that help address the delay. 

Once children are old enough, that support transitions to the pre-kindergarten setting, English said. 

Many children are screened as they enter pre-kindergarten programs around age 3.

But early screenings can help catch needs sooner and, in some cases, get the child the support they need before they enter a school setting, English said. 

Child care centers are one place these screenings can take place. 

Some school districts also provide a home visitor program for families with children up to 3 years old. 

Programs such as Jacksonville School District 117's Early Years program have parent educators who visit families.

The Waverly and Franklin areas also have access to similar services. 

Triopia and Meredosia-Chambersburg do not have access through their school districts, English said. The same is true for Virginia and A-C Central in Cass County. Beardstown has a program that meets the needs of its community, including bilingual families.

Pike County has only one district that provides services for children from birth to age 3.

With limited government funding, it could be hard to expand or create programs, English said. But resources are available, she said.

Educating parents on those resources is something that can be done now, she said. 

"Many delays identified can be remediated, sometimes even by pre-kindergarten," English said. "We want to bring more awareness, what we can do with what exists and, hopefully, we'll see some increased funding soon."