As of June 11, 2021, Illinois has entered Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois Plan.
Table of Contents
Important Guidance for Everyone
Guidance & Resources for Child Care Providers
COVID-19 Safety Reminder Campaign for Providers, Staff, and Parents
Click here or on the images above to access all the COVID-19 Safety Reminder Campaign resources in Spanish and English.
Child Care Restoration Grants (CCRG) 2021
Illinois has been awarded $331 million in financial aid to support child care through the latest federal relief package passed by the US Congress. Unlike the Child Care Restoration Grants (CCRG) in 2020, these funds will flow directly through the Illinois Department of Human Services. Our State’s recovery relies on the economic survival of our child care system. The continuation of the Child Care Restoration Grants is designed to help sustain child care as the economy continues to reopen. Visit the Child Care Restoration Grants (CCRG) web page for the most up-to-date information and resources regarding eligibility, how to apply, application dates, and technical assistance. The CCRG helpline is continuing to offer assistance and answer questions by email at ccrg@inccrra.org.
State of Illinois Guidance & Resources
- DCFS, IDPH & GOECD - Restore Illinois Licensed Day Care Guidance & License Exempt School-Age Guidance (updated 8/6/21)
- Governor Pritzker Issues Executive Order 2021-18 requiring all day care facilities in Illinois to follow the joint guidance issued by DCFS and IDPH and all public and nonpublic schools in Illinois serving pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students to follow joint guidance by ISBE and IDPH, as well as take proactive measures to ensure the safety of children, staff, and visitors (8/4/21)
- 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.
- GOECD, IDPH, DHS, DCFS, & ISBE - Q&A: 9/24/20 Webinar & 10/14/20 Child Care Provider Town Hall (10/28/20) (Spanish, English)
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GOECD, IDPH, DCFS & DHS - Child Care Provider Town Hall Meeting (10/14/2020)
Webinar Slides (Spanish),
Webinar Slides (English),
Webinar Recording (English)
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IDPH - Guidance for Pre-K-12 Schools and Day Care Programs for Addressing COVID-19 (8/18/2020)
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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)
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Rules 406 (Emergency) Licensing Standards for Day Care Homes (6/12/2020)
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Rules 407 (Emergency) Licensing Standards for Day Care Centers (6/24/2020)
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Rules 408 (Emergency) Licensing Standards for Group Day Care Homes (6/12/2020)
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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)
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Guidelines for Caring for Children in Group Settings, Including Children with Disabilities or Other Special Needs (3/21/2020)
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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 Guidance
CDC Printouts for Classrooms
Resources to Support Children & Their Development Under New Health & Social Distancing Requirements
GOECD partnered with the IDHS and Erikson Institute's Policy and Leadership department to produce a webinar series to support the provision of child care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Business Resources
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Committee for Economic Development (CED): Coronavirus Resources for Child Care Providers (webpage)
- Committee for Economic Development (CED): Unemployment Compensation Update (3/15/21)
- Committee for Economic Development (CED): Child Care Center Financial Viability During COVID-19: Short-Time Compensation Programs (Work Sharing) Update (3/15/21)
- GOECD - Small Business Owners and Federal Business Relief Resources (2/5/21)
- Committee for Economic Development (CED): Federal Paycheck Protection Program Re-Opened (1/5/21)
- IDHS - Guidance for CCAP Billing Certificates: Centers and Licensed Homes (5/15/2020) Spanish version on pages 3-4
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IDHS - Webinar Recording: CCAP Updates for Centers and Licensed Home Providers (5/26/2020)
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IDHS - Guidance for CCAP Billing Certificates: License-Exempt Homes (5/15/2020) Spanish version on page 2
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IDHS - Webinar Recording: CCAP Updates for License-Exempt Home Providers (5/26/2020)
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FAQs for Child Care During Phases 1 & 2 (updated 5/11/2020) contains answers to frequently asked questions submitted by child care providers during Phases 1 and 2 that may be useful to providers who are opening up as we enter Phase 3.
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IDHS & GOECD - Child Care Business Resources COVID-19: Webinar Slides, Webinar Slides in Spanish, Toolkit of Child Care Provider Resources, Webinar Recording (4/6/2020)
- IDHS & GOECD - COVID-19 Child Care Business Practices and Resources: Webinar Slides, Webinar Recording (3/23/2020)
- MBST Solutions, Tom Copeland, & Early Learning Policy Group, LLC - Tips to Navigate Federal Relief Options for Family Child Care Providers: Webinar Slides, Webinar Recording (4/23/2020)
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BPC - Unemployment Compensation: the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) (specifically for child care providers)
- Early childhood small business owners: for questions about U.S. Small Business Administration loans, call 1-800-252-2923 or email CEO.support@illinois.gov.
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NAEYC - Programa Paycheck Protection (PPP): Lo que los programas de cuidado infantil deben saber (13 de april del 2020)
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NAEYC – Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): What Child Care Programs Need to Know (4/10/2020)
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NAEYC - Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL): Lo que los programas de cuidado infantil deben saber (13 de april del 2020)
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NAEYC - Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL): What Child Care Programs Need to Know (4/10/2020)
Resources for Family Child Care Providers
General Resources for Child Care Providers
Guidance & Resources for Early Intervention Providers
State Guidance (most recent on top)
State Resources
National Resources (listed alphabetically)
Guidance & Resources for Head Start/Early Head Start Programs
Guidance & Resources for Home Visiting Programs
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IDHS, MIECHV, ISBE & DFSS - Revised Restore Illinois Guidance for Home Visiting, Doula, and Coordinated Intake Programs (6/30/2021)
- DHS, MIECHV, ISBE, IHSA, & DFSS – Revised Restore Illinois Guidance for Home Visiting, Doula, and Coordinated Intake Programs (3/10/21)
- MIECHV Immunization Guidance (12/15/20)
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MIECHV, DHS, IHSA & Chicago DFSS - Supplemental Mitigation Guidance for Home Visiting, Doula, and Coordinated Intake Programs (10/26/20)
MIECHV, DHS & DFSS - Restore Illinois FAQ for Home Visiting, Doula, and Coordinated Intake Programs (10/7/20)
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MIECHV, DHS, ISBE, IHSA, & Chicago DFSS - Revised Restore IL Guidance for Home Visiting, Doula, and Coordinated Intake Programs (8/31/20)
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MIECHV, IDHS, ISBE, IHSA & Chicago DFSS - Restore Illinois Recommendations and Guidance for Home Visiting, Doula, and Coordinated Intake Programs (6/9/2020)
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MIECHV & IDHS - Home Visiting is Essential—Referral Guidance for Providers Supporting Families During COVID-19 (6/1/2020)
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MIECHV & IDHS - Home Visiting is Essential—Information for Families During COVID-19 (6/1/2020)
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Survey of Illinois Home Visiting—Impact of COVID-19 (April 2020)
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MIECHV & IDHS - Illinois Home Visiting Guidance for Breastfeeding During the COVID-19 Pandemic (5/6/2020)
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MIECHV & IDHS - Illinois Home Visiting Guidance for Addressing Intimate Partner Violence, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Concerns During the COVID-19 Pandemic (4/22/2020)
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MIECHV, IDHS & ISBE - UPDATED Illinois Guidance for Virtual Home Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic (4/22/2020)
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MIECHV & IDHS – Frequently Asked Questions for Virtual Home Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic—Illinois (4/3/2020)
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MIECHV & IDHS - COVID-19 Update: Home Visits Suspended (3/13/2020)
Share Your Story Initiative—Home Visiting Inspiration in Illinois During COVID-19
Through its "Share Your Story" initiative, the Illinois Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program in the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development has provided an opportunity for home visitors to share on-the-ground stories of their experiences, including the bright spots as well as challenges. The focus of these stories is to bring attention to the amazing work they do, to share what has been working in serving families, and to illustrate how home visitors can be supported to continue carrying out their work.
Resources for All Early Childhood Professionals
COVID-19 Guidance for Operating Early Care and Education/Child Care Programs & P-12 Schools
COVID-19 Vaccination Information
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 Learning Parent Resources
The Illinois AfterSchool Network and the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership were funded by the Bright Promises Foundation to support the After School Parent Engagement and Social Emotional Learning Project. The collaborative project focused on providing support to After School and Family Child Care Providers through the use of mental health consultation. It is essential that program staff and families collaborate and connect to support the social and emotional development of their youth, which leads to academic success and the development of career and life skills. The manuals offer resources, ideas and activities to support programs and families in this process.
Additional Resources (listed alphabetically)
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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.
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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.
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Early Childhood Professional Learning (ECPL) - Resources for Programs & Families During COVID-19
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Family Values Work - Back to School for Teachers and Education Workers (an explanation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act)
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Live Virtual CLASS Trainings
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National Association of School Psychologists - Countering COVID-19 Stigma and Racism: Tips for Parents and Caregivers
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National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations - The Leadership Team's Guide for Re-Opening Programs
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National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) Videos - YouTube Channel featuring webinars on reopening
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New America - Digital Resources for EL Students
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ZERO TO THREE - Coronavirus Resources for Early Childhood Professionals
Mental Health Resources for All Providers