Becoming Entitled for the Family Child Care Credential
The Gateways to Opportunity Family Child Care (FCC) Credential is designed for family child care providers in Illinois. It highlights the unique educational needs of the family child care environment. In addition to the seven Gateways Content Areas, the Family Child Care Credential includes three additional areas specific to family child care:
- Business
- Family Child Care Environment Management
- Leadership & Advocacy
The FCC Credential provides professional recognition of achievements and commitments beyond state licensing standards as well as demonstrating knowledge and experience needed to provide high quality family child care.
Family Child Care Credential
- pdf FCC Entitlement Application (550 KB)
- pdf FCC Entitled Application Introduction (258 KB)
- pdf FCC Competencies by Credential level and suggested role (409 KB)
- pdf FCC Competencies within Content Areas inclusive of Benchmarks (419 KB)
- pdf FCC Content Areas (421 KB)
- FCC Toolbox
- pdf FCC Competency Framework (772 KB)
Student/Workforce Potential
Illinois has one of the largest workforce populations of licensed family child care providers in the nation (Child Care Aware, 2015 data). Currently, there are around 9,000 Illinois Department of Children and Family Services licensed family child care providers. Licensed family child care demographics show a richness in diversity, similar to families in Illinois. In addition, there are approximately 75,000 license exempt family child care providers in Illinois (who receive child care assistance payments based on FY15 data) who could be an audience for this credential. There is currently insufficient coursework that leads to the Gateways Family Child Care Credential to meet the needs of family child care providers throughout the state.
Obtaining a Family Child Care Credential Level 2 or higher meets the Health, Safety and Child Development Training requirements issued by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) for providers receiving Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) payments.
