Smart Start Child Care
Smart Start Child Care at IDHS is a component of Smart Start Illinois, a multi-year plan to provide every child with access to preschool, increase funding to childcare providers to raise wages and quality, invest in new expanded early childhood facilities, and reach more vulnerable families with early support. Smart Start Illinois demonstrates the state's ongoing commitment to children, families, teachers, and childcare providers.
Smart Start Child Care at IDHS features –
- Smart Start Workforce Grants providing increased wages and a predictable, stable funding stream to licensed providers across Illinois aimed at growing and strengthening providers serving the Child Care Assistance Program.
- The Smart Start Quality Support Program supporting participating child care programs in their efforts to embed continuous quality improvement (CQI) systems throughout their organizations. This includes creating new structures to support program CQI, implementing new leadership processes, and supporting professional development of administrators and teaching staff.
Previously, Smart Start Transition Grants provided a bridge between COVID relief funding and Smart Start Workforce Grants, helping Illinois stabilize the child care industry in the wake of the pandemic.
These investments are just the start, as Smart Start Child Care will continue to deliver innovative approaches to help meet the quality and capacity goals of Smart Start Illinois both now and into the future.
Ad Hoc Committee for Smart Start Child Care
Smart Start Stakeholder Input
Having feedback and input from those working in early childhood education and care is a priority as the state develops Smart Start Illinois. An ad-hoc committee of the IDHS-DEC Child Care Advisory Council began meeting in November 2022. This committee focuses on Smart Start Child Care, and providing insight, feedback, and raises questions and thoughts as the state develops a plan for this work. This committee is made up of individuals that work in child care, and agencies that support child care. Below are the presentations that are provided at each ad-hoc committee meeting.
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November 2022
(791 KB)
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December 2022
(1.56 MB)
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January 2023
(663 KB)
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February 2023
(976 KB)
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April 2023
(1.97 MB)
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June 2023
(2.02 MB)
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August 2023
(1.09 MB)
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September 2023
(1.09 MB)
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October 2023
(1.01 MB)
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November 2023
(1002 KB)
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December 2023
(3.83 MB)
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February 2024
(3.95 MB)
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March 2024
(511 KB)
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April 2024
(1.06 MB)
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June 2024
(687 KB)
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October 2024
(471 KB)
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December 2024
(1.06 MB)
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February 2025
(1.09 MB)
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April 2025
(478 KB)
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Smart Start Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program
The Smart Start Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program seeks to bridge and connect scholarship programs leading to credentials and degrees with on-the-job/real-world training and mentorship tailored to the context of the specific communities where apprentices work. The program will incorporate child care program contracts, specifically to provide funding for participating centers for increased compensation based on staff qualifications.
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Smart Start Workforce Grants
The Smart Start Child Care Workforce Grant program will replace Transition Grants and will provide child care programs the stable, ongoing funds they need to cover costs and invest in quality staff.
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Smart Start Quality Support Program
The Smart Start Quality Support (SSQS) program, formerly the ExceleRate Pilot, helps the participating centers cover the staffing costs associated with higher quality, and guide staff in their quality improvement work.
ExceleRate Illinois helps you prepare children for success in school and life.
It also provides standards, guidelines, resources, and support to help you make sensible changes that lead to better quality outcomes for children.