Resources to Support Providers through COVID-19

• Restore Illinois Plan (Spanish, Chinese) - For additional languages, click here. 
• Restore Illinois - A Bridge to Phase 5 (3/18/21)
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - Hand Sanitizers Consumers Should Not Use
• Visit www.GetMyPaymentIL.org for information on how to access Economic Impact Payments, or stimulus checks, from the federal government. 
  

• IDHS will pay Child Care Assistance Program providers based upon enrollment, rather than attendance, for the months of December 2020, January 2021, and February 2021. 
• Child care centers and licensed child care homes need to complete and sign the COVID-19 Attendance Exemption form and attach the form to EVERY certificate submitted to be paid based on attendance.
  
• December 2020 Exemption Form
• January and February 2021 Exemption Form
• DCFS, IDPH & GOECD - Restore Illinois Licensed Day Care Guidance & License Exempt School-Age Guidance (12/30/2020)
• GOECD, IDPH, DHS, DCFS, & ISBE - Q&A: 9/24/20 Webinar & 10/14/20 Child Care Provider Town Hall (10/28/20) (Spanish, English) 
• GOECD, IDPH, DCFS & DHS - Child Care Provider Town Hall Meeting (10/14/2020) Webinar Slides (Spanish), Webinar Slides (English), Webinar Recording (English)
• IDPH - Guidance for Pre-K-12 Schools and Day Care Programs for Addressing COVID-19(8/18/2020)
• IDPH - Guidance for Evaluating a Child's Medical Tolerance for Use of Face Coverings in Schools (8/17/2020)
• DCFS, DHS, & GOECD - Printable signs in Chinese, English, Korean, Polish, Spanish, and Tagalog for programs following the emergency rules, executive orders, and guidelines issued by the state of Illinois in adherence with the Restore Illinois Plan (7/7/2020)
• Rules 406 (Emergency) Licensing Standards for Day Care Homes (6/12/2020)
• Rules 407 (Emergency) Licensing Standards for Day Care Centers (6/24/2020) 
• Rules 408 (Emergency) Licensing Standards for Group Day Care Homes (6/12/2020)
• GOECD, DCFS, IDHS, & ISBE - Comprehensive Health Guidance for Those Providing Child Care to Essential Workers During the COVID-19 State of Emergency (4/20/2020)
• Guidelines for Caring for Children in Group Settings, Including Children with Disabilities or Other Special Needs (3/21/2020)
• Cuidado infantil en entornos grupales, incluidos niños con discapacidades u otras necesidades especiales (3/21/2020)

For a chronological listing of updates and resources from State Agencies, visit the COVID-19 for Early Childhood page. 

• CDC - Toolkits for Child Care Programs
• CDC - Guidance for Operating Child Care Programs during COVID-19
  
• CDC - Supplemental Guidance for Child Care Programs That Remain Open
  
• CDC - Interim Guidance for Administrators of US K-12 Schools and Childcare Programs
• CDC - Activities and Initiatives Supporting the COVID-19 Response and the President's Plan for Opening America Up Again (page 38: Interim Guidance for Child Care Programs; page 42: Interim Guidance for Schools and Day Camps)
• CDC - Cleaning & Disinfecting for Community Facilities
  

• CDC - Stop the Spread of Germs
• CDC - Face Covering Do's & Don'ts
  
• CDC - Guidance on Donning and Doffing Personal Protective Equipment
  

COVID-19 Vaccination Information

Illinois has included the following providers under the "educator" category eligible for vaccines in Priority Group 1B as outlined in the IDPH COVID-19 Vaccination plan:

• Early Intervention personnel
• Home- and center-based child care providers
• Home visiting & Maternal, Infant & Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) providers
• Head Start/Early Head Start providers
• Preschool for All providers 
• Support staff, including custodial, transportation, kitchen, and other staff
  

• For the most up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination information, please visit:
• State of Illinois: COVID-19 Response
• Find Vaccine Locations
• Restore Illinois COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Plan
  
• Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (available in Chinese, Hindi, Arabic, Tagalog, and Spanish)
  
• Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH): COVID-19 Vaccination
• IDPH Health Regions & Local Health Departments 
  
• Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS): COVID-19 Vaccination Information
  
• City of Chicago: COVID-19 Vaccine
  
• Cook County Department of Public Health: Latest COVID-19 Vaccine Information
  
• Hotline to sign up for the vaccine is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday: 1-833-308-1988
  
• Start Early - FAQs About the COVID-19 Vaccine and Access (Regularly Updated Google Docs in English and Spanish) 
  
• Email/Letter from Dr. Jor'dan: Important COVID-19 Vaccination Information for Early Childhood Providers (2/5/21)
  
• Preguntas frecuentes (FAQ) Re: Distribución de vacunas, Pautas de políticas y financiamiento federal para la fuerza laboral de educación y cuidado infantile (Enero de 2021)
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Re: Vaccine Distribution, Federal Funding, and Policy Guidelines for the Early Care and Education Workforce (January 2021)
• Early Childhood Provider Town Hall: Discussion on COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan (1/15/21) (PowerPoint, Recording)
  
• Reunión de proveedores de servicios destinados a la primera infancia: Plática sobre el plan de distribución de vacunas contra la COVID-19 y los fondos socorristas federales (15/1/21) (Powerpoint, Grabación)

Social-Emotional Toolkits for Early Childhood Education & Care Providers and Birth to Five Leaders

GOECD, in partnership with the Illinois Pyramid Model State Leadership Team, has developed Social-Emotional Toolkits early childhood providers and leaders can use to manage stressors and promote wellness during challenging times.

• Social-Emotional Toolkit: Resources for Early Childhood Education and Care PROVIDERS
• Social-Emotional Toolkit: Resources for Birth to Five LEADERS

• Brazelton Touchpoints Center is offering a series of free webinars and an online learning community that will explore how to manage the challenges posed by virtual service delivery and share strategies providers have found for building and sustaining strong relationships with families virtually. In partnership with Parents as Teachers and the Rapid Response Virtual Home Visiting (RR-VHV) Collaborative, they will build on lessons learned from virtual home visiting, adapted for all family-facing providers.
• Dear Colleague Letter sent to PDG B-5 grantees on 6/1/2020 and signed by the Administration for Children and Families' Offices of Early Childhood Development, Head Start, Childcare, Children's Bureau and by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau in the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to encourage family support, maternal and child health, and early childhood programs (including Head Start, home visiting, early intervention, and other early care and learning programs) to promote family strengthening and prevention strategies via virtual, electronic, telephonic, or other safe means during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• Early Childhood Professional Learning (ECPL) - Resources for Programs & Families During COVID-19
• Family Values Work - Back to School for Teachers and Education Workers (an explanation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act)
  
• Live Virtual CLASS Trainings
  
• National Alliance to End Homelessness - Coronavirus and Homelessness
  
• National Association of School Psychologists - Countering COVID-19 Stigma and Racism: Tips for Parents and Caregivers
  
• National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations - The Leadership Team's Guide for Re-Opening Programs
• National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) Videos - YouTube Channel featuring webinars on reopening
• New America - Digital Resources for EL Students
  
• ZERO TO THREE - Coronavirus Resources for Early Childhood Professionals