New Training Requirements

Effective July 1, 2022, all license-exempt (not licensed by DCFS) non-relative child care providers who are approved to receive payments through the IDHS Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) must adhere to the training requirements listed below. 

Current providers must complete the training requirements before September 30, 2022, to receive payment for new families or continue to be paid for current families after their next redetermination. 
 
HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING REQUIREMENTS 
License-exempt non-relative home providers, their assistants/substitutes and license-exempt center providers (including directors, teachers, aides, and staff with access to children) caring for children paid for through CCAP must meet the following requirements within 90 days of being approved for CCAP payments: 
 
• Become a Gateways to Opportunity Registry member and renew membership every year.  To become a Registry member visit: Illinois Gateways to Opportunity Registry (ilgateways.com) 
• Complete Pediatric First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certification by an approved training entity.
• Complete Department of Child & Family Services (DCFS) Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect Mandated Reporter training.
• Complete Child Development, Health, and Safety Basics course or obtain ECE Credential Level 1 
Training-Tier 1.
• Enter your completed trainings in the Gateways Registry and print and keep a copy of your certificates and First Aid/CPR card.

CCAP Copays Going Down

Attention Illinois Child Care Professionals and Parents!

Governor Pritzker announced that the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) would be Lowering copays to $1 for CCAP-eligible families with a parent or guardian working in child care effective July 1, 2022. 

To request the copay reduction, parents who work in any position for a licensed or license-exempt child care center or home should request that their copayment be reduced in writing with their signature by email, mail, or walk into your local Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) or Site Administered Provider. There is no required form to make this request. CCAP staff will review and process all requests in the order received and an updated approval letter will be generated for both the client and child care provider.

Copayment changes will be effective the month following re-assessment.

State Board of Education Grants Now Available

In consultation with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Capital Development Board is making $100 million available statewide for grants to Public School Districts and non-profit operators of early childhood centers. Funding is being released in two rounds; $60 million will be awarded in late fall of 2022, and the remaining $40 million at a date to be decided. Grant recipients are required to provide matching funds of between 3% and 10% based on ISBE Tier level for the local elementary school district.

Funds are available to construct, renovate or otherwise improve facilities, for example by:

• Constructing an addition to an existing building
• New construction of a facility or renovations to an existing facility to create a new early childhood center
• Acquisition of a facility
• Purchase or replacement of equipment that meets bond ability guidelines
• Safety improvements
• Classroom conversions

More information can be found at https://www2.illinois.gov/cdb/professionalgrowth/grants/Pages/ecgp.aspx

Early Intervention Training Program

The Early Intervention Training Program (EITP) offers helpful trainings and resources related to young children’s development. Early intervention and early childhood special education look closely at child outcomes and the associated functional skills and behaviors that are meaningful for a child’s participation in everyday routines. If you want information on understanding how young children develop and use movement and motor skills to meet their needs, check out EITP’s free online courses Infant Development: Alignment, Core, and Motor (IDACM) https://web.cvent.com/…/8c6b6138-a3bd-40b8-9914…/summary or Your Guide to Tummy Time https://web.cvent.com/…/9de9578f-aee7-4487-91df…/summary.

PITC Trainer Institute

The Program for Infant/Toddler Care(PITC) will offer a fully virtual PITC Trainer Institute for the 2022-2023 year. The PITC Trainer Institute provides training for educators, program managers, and other professionals responsible for supervising and training infant/toddler care teachers, Family Child Care (FCC), and Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FNN) providers.  

PITC Trainer Institutes deliver a relationship-based approach to toddler/infant care through a comprehensive study of the PITC philosophy and recommended practices that support high-quality infant and toddler care. The PITC Trainer Institute is jointly conducted by the California Department of Social Services, Child Care and Development Division (CDSS-CCDD), and WestEd.  

This virtual Institute encompasses synchronous launch and closing events featuring interactive online sessions with dynamic faculty and 24 weeks of online learning in cohorts with facilitators. Certification is embedded in the learning process in a supportive cohort community.  

Who will benefit: 

• Trainers and Coaches 
• Child Care Resource and Referral Training and Technical Assistance Staff 
• Family Child Care Providers 
• Program Administrators and Education Leaders within Quality Systems and Programs 
• Education and Home Visitation Coordinators and Center Directors 
• Mentor/Lead Teachers 
• Higher Education Faculty 
• Early Intervention, Mental Health, and Inclusion Consultants serving Infant/Toddler Programs 

 Early Head Start StaffSpace is limited. Applications close on August 15, 2022.

Low Income Internet Opportunity

The Federal Region 5 Office of Child Care would like to make you aware of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program to help low-income households pay for internet service and connected devices.

Eligible households may receive:

• Up to $30/month discount on internet service.

• Up to $75/month discount if the household is on qualifying Tribal lands.

• A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)

Eligible households can enroll in the ACP through an approved provider or by visiting one of two simple and easy-to-use websites: ACPBenefit.org or GetInternet.gov.

Households with income at or below 200 percent of the poverty level are eligible for the subsidy. Some households are automatically eligible for the ACP, without the need to prove their income, if at least one member of the household is receiving benefits from certain federal programs, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Only one monthly service discount and one device discount is allowed per household. Not all participating internet service providers offer device discounts.

We hope that you will join us in promoting the Affordable Connectivity Program so that more families and households struggling to afford internet service might get connected.

Online Training Opportunities For Child Care Providers

For on-line training opportunities, remember the Gateways i-learning website is always available at: https://courses.inccrra.org. These trainings are Gateways Registry-approved and cover a variety of child development and early childhood education topics. Trainings automatically appear on your Gateways Registry Professional Development Record (PDR), and they are FREE. Be sure to have your Gateways Registry online username and password to login.

Below is a listing of other free or low-cost on-line training opportunities that are available to all child care providers:

• COX Campus: Courses | Cox Campus
• Early Childhood Investigations Webinars: Early Childhood Webinars – Conference-Quality Professional Development You can access past webinars at any time.)
• edWeb.net: Upcoming Events – edWeb
• Penn State Extension — Better Kid Care: Better Kid Care — Penn State Extension (psu.edu)
• STARnet: STAR NET Northwest Region I & Central Region III – Illinois STAR NET provides a variety of opportunities for personal and professional growth for those who touch the lives of young children, ages birth through eight, with an emphasis on children with special needs. STARnet supports family-centered, researched and effective practices in early childhood education and care.
• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: Texas A&M AgriLife Learn | Courses, Publications, and Merchandise (tamu.edu)
• The Center: Resources for Teaching and Learning – Early Childhood Professional Learning: Professional Learning | EC Learning IL

Please contact Jenny Garinger if you have any training questions or if you know of any other helpful online trainings at 217-333-7816 or garinger@illinois.edu.