To further increase equity in funding across the State, Birth to Five Illinois is issuing grant funds to local early childhood collaborations to deepen their work and to jumpstart the creation of new local collaborations focused on strengthening ECEC systems. For further information and the application link go to:
http://www.birthtofiveil.com/grants
Birth to Five Illinois defines the collaborative process as stakeholders coming together in their community and using systems-thinking approaches to identify the issues, root causes, and solutions to early childhood challenges. Birth to Five Illinois seeks to drive funding into areas that have been historically overlooked by prioritizing communities with a high number of children living in poverty, households with limited English proficiency, and areas with a high Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), among other indicators.
Birth to Five Illinois will issue $2.5 million in Implementation Grants to existing local early childhood collaborations. The first phase of grant funding is closely tied to the Governor’s focus on regaining and increasing enrollment in ECEC programs and services, as there have been sizable decreases in enrollment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional $500,000 in Planning Grants to help groups develop new local collaborations will be available in Fall 2022.
The deadline for submission is 11 p.m. on July 22, 2022.