Smart Start Illinois Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program
The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Division of Early Childhood (DEC) began piloting an apprenticeship program 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. On July 1, 2026, this pilot transitioned from IDHS Division of Early Childhood to the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC). The program will incorporate child care program contracts, specifically to provide funding for participating centers for increased compensation based on staff qualifications. This unique component of IDEC’s Apprenticeship model complements existing efforts underway to upskill staff through scholarship programs by materially supporting employers with funding for increasing compensation, therefore, incentivizing child care program directors to support their staff in going back to school as well as bringing a new generation of caregivers and teachers into the workforce.
Child Care provider sites are only allowed to participate in and receive funds from one of the three Smart Start Child Care Programs - Smart Start Workforce Grant, Smart Start Quality Supports, or Smart Start Apprenticeship - within a state fiscal year. Sites that receive funding from multiple sources in a single fiscal year may be required to return funds.
Apprenticeship Equity Statement:
Our Smart Start Illinois Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program and our general approach to innovative reforms for early childhood systems build on the equity principles developed for the University of Illinois Chicago's Alternative Licensure Program.
These include:
- Explicitly stating that our childcare workforce crisis is rooted in historic racism and sexism, and as such, our workforce has had limited access and opportunity to advance their education, and as frontline workers have borne the burden of a broken early childhood system;
- Inverting the deficit models of professional development and instead focus on strengths and assets, particularly the community cultural wealth of our incumbent workforce;
- Intensive support at the place of employment. This includes careful consideration of the workplace conditions that support the professional development of the workforce; and
- Inclusion of a developmental and longitudinal evaluation that includes surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews to elevate their voices, expertise, and needs.
- Illinois State Board of Education (Equity Standards)
The information on this page is meant to be utilized by programs participating in the Pilot.
Questions about the Pilot should be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
- pdf Registered Apprenticeship Standards (1.20 MB)
- pdf Smart Start Early Childhood Apprenticeship Pilot Program Salary Scale FY26 (835 KB)
- spreadsheet Smart Start Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program Monthly Staff and Expenditure Reporting Spreadsheet FY26 (46 KB)
- Smart Start Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program Monthly Budget Report Webform
- pdf Smart Start Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program Frequently Asked Questions (FY27) (1.24 MB)
Training Recordings
- FY25 Apprenticeship Pilot Informational Meeting – 4/24/2024
- IECAP Pilot Apprenticeship Kick-Off Meeting - 2/28/2024 (passcode: !5hwzN3%)
- IECAP Pilot Apprenticeship Kick-Off Meeting - 2/27/2024 (passcode: qGA5L*.i)
- document Apprentice Kick-Off Meeting PowerPoint 2/27 and 2/28/2024 (33.17 MB)
Resources
- pdf Gateways Scholarship Program - Smart Start Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program Flyer (631 KB)
- Gateways Registry Dashboard Login
