Gateways Level 1 ECE Credential

Training for the Gateways Level 1 ECE Credential is available statewide. This credential is for individuals interested in entering the field of early care and education and school-age care. The Gateways Level 1 ECE Credential provides an opportunity to gain knowledge about the daily practices of high-quality child care practitioners.

The Level 1 ECE curriculum provides basic knowledge and skills for those working with or seeking to work with young children.
The Level 1 ECE curriculum consists of 16 three-hour modules.

The following represent some of the topics presented:

Health, Safety, and Nutrition
How Children Learn
Observation and Assessment
Family and Community Relations
Child Development
The School-Age Child

The Gateways Level 1 ECE Credential training sessions are available free of charge through local Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (CCR&Rs) and are offered in both English and Spanish. A Gateways Level 1 ECE Credential online training is now available in English. There is no cost to apply for the Level 1 ECE Credential. The Gateways Level 1 ECE Credential is implemented by the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (INCCRRA) and funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Bureau of Child Care and Development. The Illinois Trainers Network (ITN) administers the training. For information on the Gateways Level 1 ECE Credential online training option, please contact the Learning Advancement Coordinator.

The Gateways Level 1 ECE Credential is linked to the Illinois Quality Counts: Quality Rating System (QRS). For further information contact INCCRRA at (866) 697-8278 or click here.

How to receive the Gateways Level 1 ECE Credential:

To search for a Gateways Level 1 ECE Credential Training, click here.

Please click here to see the newly credentialed Level 1 ECE recipients.

Please contact us for more information.