Every year, CNE brings over $4.1 million into our community to support high-quality early childhood education and care to eligible families. Services include federally-funded Head Start/Early Head Start center-based and home visiting programs, Illinois State Board of Education-funded Preschool for All Program (5 partner sites), and childcare subsidies funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services Child Care Assistance Program (administration for 4 local programs)
Accessing high-quality early childhood education and support isn’t easy. CNE recruits throughout the year, making sure families are aware of the available support. 86% of our Head Start families are either living below the poverty line, or otherwise qualify for public assistance, and 58% of them are one-parent families.
Every child in our center-based programs receives annual developmental screenings, with referrals to additional, accessible resources when needed. Classroom supports may include speech and occupational therapies, an inclusion aide for a child with differing needs, and even mental health support for children in the early learning space.
It is no surprise that early educators across the community are struggling. They are overworked, underpaid, and seeing an increase in challenging behavior in their classrooms. CNE supports a number of initiatives to support these professionals who are charged with guiding young learners at this critical developmental stage.
For the past 2 years, CNE has been a key participant in the planning of a community-wide annual early childhood symposium for early educators - including a variety of informative breakout sessions. This fall, we are piloting a teacher coaching program to support educators who are new to the field - to equip them with tools and strategies for success in the classroom.
We know that a strong foundation for any child begins at home, so we work to support parents as their child’s first and best teacher. Our Head Start family support staff works with parents to set and pursue their goals. We offer parent support groups and twice-monthly family nights for parents to connect, and can provide emergency funds for crisis situations.
