Southern Illinois Regions Receive Portion of $2.5M for Childhood Development

October 17, 2025

Original coverage in WSIL by Mike Mohundro.

Birth to Five Illinois has awarded an additional $2.5 million to Early Childhood Collaborations across the state.

This funding aims to improve systems for young children and their families in 35 regions of Illinois.

The award, consisting of 43 subcontracts for fiscal year 2026, is funded by the Illinois State Board of Education. Since fiscal year 2023, Birth to Five Illinois has invested a total of $11,875,000.

The organization has provided funding to 35 out of 39 regions in Illinois. This demonstrates their commitment to enhancing existing Early Childhood Collaborations and investing in less-funded areas.

Early Childhood Collaborations like iGrow of Vermilion County and the Carbondale Early Childhood Impact Table will use these funds to coordinate developmental screenings and collaborate with community organizations.

“I am honored to announce our fourth year of directing funding to Early Childhood 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," Hubbard-Fragozo said. "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.”

The investment underscores the state's commitment to supporting families and children in Illinois.

The list includes three Early Childhood Collaborations in the southern Illinois region.

• Carbondale Community Cabinet for Children and Youth

  • Region 30 (Jackson County)

  • Region 21 (Williamson County)

• Southern Illinois Coalition for Children and Families:

  • Region 20 (Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Pope, Saline & White Counties)

  • Region 21 (Franklin, Johnson, Massac & Williamson Counties)

  • Region 30 (Alexander, Jackson, Perry, Pulaski & Union Counties)

• Southernmost Illinois Early Learning Special Education Collaborative:

  • Region 21 (Johnson & Massac Counties)

  • Region 30 (Alexander & Pulaski Counties)

The full list is as follows...

Birth to Five Illinois FY2026 Subcontractors

• Addison Partners for Play, Learning, and Education (APPLE): $48,000

• Altgeld-Riverdale Early Learning Initiative (ARELI): $40,000

• Boone County Maternal Child Health (MCH) Advisory Council: $75,000

• Carbondale Early Childhood Impact Table: $45,000

• Champaign County Home Visiting Consortium: $72,000

• Clay County 0-5 Advisory Board: $36,000

• Collaboration for Early Childhood: $75,000

• Connect Home Visiting Chicago: $75,000

• Crawford County Kids Association: $64,000

• DeKalb County Collaborative for Young Children (DCCYC): $75,000

• Early Childhood Alliance of Niles Township: $75,000

• Early Childhood Coalition of the Illinois Quad City Area: $60,000

• Early Childhood Forum of Central Illinois: $75,000

• Effingham County Early Childhood Coalition: $36,000

• Enriching Partnerships for Early Learning (EPEL): $75,000

• Evanston Early Childhood Council: $72,000

• Glenbard Early Childhood Collaboration: $75,000

• Greater East St. Louis Early Learning Partnership: $75,000

• Greene County Collaboration: $30,000

• iGrow of Vermilion County: $50,000

• Little Village Education Collaborative (LVEC): $60,000

• Madison County Alliance of Children & Families: $60,000

• Margaret F. Lee Violence Prevention & Intervention: $30,000

• Menard County Family Collaborative: $53,000

• Monroe Randolph Partnership for Children and Families: $55,000

• North Chicago Early Childhood Collaboration: $51,000

• North Lawndale Early Learning Collaboration: $75,000

• Northwest Illinois Early Childhood Consortium: $38,000

• Plano Area Alliance Supporting Student Success (PAASSS): $66,000

• Ready to Learn: $49,000

• Ready. Set. Grow.: $75,000

• Regional Office of Education #13 Early Childhood Education: $45,000

• ROE26 IRIS Community Collaboration: $45,000

• Sauk Valley STARS: $75,000

• Southern Illinois Coalition for Children and Families: $75,000

• Southernmost Illinois Early Learning Special Education Collaborative: $43,000

• SPARK (Strong, Prepared And Ready for Kindergarten) Early Childhood Collaboration: $51,000

• Success By 6: $38,000

• The Village Early Childhood Collaboration: $75,000

• Villa Park Area Early Childhood Collaborative: $44,000

• WeGo Together for Kids: $63,000

• Wheaton Warrenville Early Learning Collaborative: $32,000

• Willowbrook Community Early Childhood Collaborative (WCECC): $74,000

For more information, you can find it here.