ROE 13 Gets Funding for Early Childhood Programs
October 20, 2025
Original coverage in the Mt. Vernon Sentinel by Travis Morse (subscription required).
The Regional Office of Education #13 Early Childhood Collaboration has secured a new subcontract with Birth to Five Illinois to continue funding the region's only early childhood collaboration.
ROE 13 provides regulatory services for schools in the counties of Jefferson, Clinton, Marion, and Washington. The subcontract with Birth to Five Illinois, which this time is in the amount of $45,000, will provide funds for ROE's early childhood community and families. The subcontract is part of an additional $2.5 million that Birth to Five Illinois has awarded across the state to support ''Local Early Childhood Collaborations'' and their efforts to improve early childhood systems for young children and their families, states a Birth to Five Illinois news release.
"We're so thankful to be awarded at $45,000 as a subcontractor from Birth to Five Illinois," said Jill Wardlow, Pre K Director and the Early Childhood Collaboration Coordinator for ROE 13. ''This funding helps us do more to support local families and young children. With it, we're able to bring the IRIS referral system to our area so families can easily connect with the resources they need, host community events that bring people together, and offer monthly developmental screenings to help children get off to a strong start. It's all about creating connections, building relationships, and making sure every family feels supported during those important early years."
Jessica Chin, Regional Administrative Support for Region 13 of Birth to Five Illinois, said that this year's award of $45,000 will also benefit local children and families by addressing key priorities identified in Birth to Five Illinois' Early Childhood Regional Needs Assessment and Action Plan.
The award of 43 subcontracts in fiscal year 2026, funded by the Illinois State Board of Education, brings the total that Birth to Five Illinois has invested since FY2023 to $11,875,000. To date, the organization has provided funding to 35 of Illinois' 39 Regions, demonstrating their commitment to not only bolstering the state's existing Early Childhood Collaborations, but also to allocating dollars to parts of Illinois that tend to see less investment, the news release states.
Using these funds, Early Childhood Collaborations like iGrow of Vermilion County and the Carbondale Early Childhood Impact Table will coordinate efforts to increase developmental screening opportunities for young children and collaborate with other organizations in their communities to ensure families can access the programs and services they seek for their children, the release states.
''I am honored to announce our fourth year of directing funding to Early ChiIdhood Collaborations across the state,'' said Angela Hubbard-Fragozo, Grants and Relationship Manager for Birth to Five Illinois. ''These funds support critical relationship-building efforts, updates to resource banks, outreach to families to connect them to available services, and so much more. Birth to Five Illinois is proud to be part of a state that values and invests in efforts that center the experiences of families and communities."
For more information, visit www.birthtofiveil.com/funding.