Agency: Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) – Division of Child Care
Website: https://dcfs.illinois.gov
Description: The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services licenses and regulates child care centers, day care homes, and group day care homes. The department provides licensing standards, inspections, provider resources, forms, and compliance guidance.
Program: ExceleRate Illinois
Website: https://www.excelerateillinois.com
Description: ExceleRate Illinois is the state's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), supporting continuous quality improvement through coaching, professional development, technical assistance, and recognition of program excellence.
Registry: Gateways to Opportunity Registry
Website: https://registry.ilgateways.com
Description: Illinois' professional development registry allows early childhood professionals to track credentials, education, training, and career advancement while accessing approved professional development opportunities.
Organization: Illinois Network of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (INCCRRA)
Website: https://www.inccrra.org
Description: INCCRRA coordinates Illinois' Child Care Resource & Referral system, providing referrals, technical assistance, coaching, professional development, and business support for child care providers.
Organization: Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children (Illinois AEYC)
Website: https://www.illinoisaeyc.org
Description: Supports early childhood professionals through advocacy, networking, conferences, leadership development, and professional learning opportunities.
Organization: Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)
Website: https://www.isbe.net
Description: Administers Illinois' Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), providing reimbursement, nutrition guidance, training, and technical assistance.
Agency: Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
Website: https://dcfs.illinois.gov
Description: Child care providers and employees must complete fingerprint-based criminal background checks and required child abuse and neglect clearances before working in licensed child care settings.
Program: Illinois Preschool for All
Website: https://www.isbe.net
Description: Preschool for All provides high-quality, state-funded preschool opportunities that prepare eligible children for kindergarten success.
Program: Illinois Early Intervention Program
Website: https://www.dhs.state.il.us
Description: Provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities while supporting families through coordinated services.
Organization: Gateways to Opportunity
Website: https://www.ilgateways.com
Description: Provides scholarships, credentials, workforce initiatives, quality improvement supports, and financial assistance for Illinois' early childhood professionals.
Training requirements include health and safety, pediatric CPR and First Aid, mandated reporter training, child development, emergency preparedness, and ongoing professional development. Training records are maintained through the Gateways Registry.
Website: https://dcfs.illinois.gov
Description: Access licensing applications, provider forms, inspection reports, regulations, background check information, and additional child care resources.
Website: https://dcfs.illinois.gov
Description: Stay informed about licensing updates, policy changes, grant opportunities, quality initiatives, professional development, and early childhood news throughout Illinois.
Agency: Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) – Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL)
Website: https://brighterfuturesindiana.org
Description: The Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning licenses and regulates child care centers, family child care homes, ministries, and school-age programs throughout Indiana. The office provides licensing regulations, inspections, provider resources, forms, and compliance guidance.
Program: Paths to QUALITY™
Website: https://brighterfuturesindiana.org
Description: Paths to QUALITY™ is Indiana's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), supporting continuous quality improvement through coaching, technical assistance, professional development, and quality recognition.
Registry: Indiana Learning Paths
Website: https://indianalearningpaths.com
Description: Indiana's professional development system allows early childhood professionals to register for approved training, document professional learning, and support career advancement.
Organization: Indiana Association for Child Care Resource & Referral (IACCRR)
Website: https://www.iaccrr.org
Description: Indiana's statewide Child Care Resource & Referral network provides referrals, coaching, technical assistance, professional development, and business support for providers and families.
Organization: Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children (Indiana AEYC)
Website: https://www.indianaaeyc.org
Description: Supports early childhood professionals through advocacy, networking, conferences, leadership development, and professional learning opportunities.
Organization: Indiana Department of Education – School & Community Nutrition Programs
Website: https://www.in.gov/doe
Description: Administers Indiana's Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), providing reimbursement, nutrition guidance, training, and technical assistance.
Agency: Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA)
Website: https://brighterfuturesindiana.org
Description: Child care providers and employees must complete criminal background checks, fingerprinting, and required child abuse and neglect clearances before working in licensed child care settings.
Program: On My Way Pre-K
Website: https://www.onmywayprek.org
Description: Indiana's On My Way Pre-K Program provides eligible families with access to high-quality prekindergarten programs that prepare children for kindergarten success.
Program: First Steps Early Intervention
Website:
https://www.in.gov/fssa/firststeps
Description: First Steps provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities while supporting families through coordinated services.
Organization: Early Learning Indiana
Website: https://earlylearningin.org
Description: Provides workforce initiatives, scholarships, quality improvement supports, grants, and professional development opportunities for Indiana's early childhood professionals.
Training requirements include health and safety, pediatric CPR and First Aid, safe sleep practices, child abuse and neglect reporting, emergency preparedness, universal precautions, and ongoing professional development.
Website: https://brighterfuturesindiana.org
Description: Access licensing applications, provider forms, inspection reports, regulations, background check information, and additional child care resources.
Website: https://brighterfuturesindiana.org
Description: Stay informed about licensing updates, policy changes, grant opportunities, quality initiatives, professional development, and early childhood news throughout Indiana.
Agency: Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – Child Care Regulation
Website: https://hhs.iowa.gov/programs/programs-and-services/child-care
Description: The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services licenses and regulates child care centers, child development homes, and preschool programs. The department provides licensing regulations, inspections, provider resources, forms, and compliance guidance.
Program: Iowa Quality for Kids (IQ4K)
Website: https://iowaaeYC.org/iq4k
Description: Iowa Quality for Kids (IQ4K) is Iowa's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), helping providers strengthen program quality through coaching, professional development, technical assistance, and continuous quality improvement.
Registry: Iowa Early Care and Education Professional Development System (i-PoWeR)
Website: https://www.iowaccrr.org
Description: Iowa's professional development system allows early childhood professionals to document training, education, credentials, and career advancement while accessing approved professional development opportunities.
Organization: Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral (Iowa CCR&R)
Website: https://www.iowaccrr.org
Description: Iowa's statewide Child Care Resource & Referral program provides coaching, technical assistance, referrals, business support, and professional development for providers and families.
Organization: Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children (Iowa AEYC)
Website: https://www.iowaaeyc.org
Description: Supports early childhood professionals through advocacy, networking, conferences, leadership development, and professional learning opportunities.
Organization: Iowa Department of Education – Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services
Website: https://educateiowa.gov
Description: Administers Iowa's Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), providing reimbursement, nutrition guidance, training, and technical assistance.
Agency: Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
Website: https://hhs.iowa.gov
Description: Child care providers and employees must complete criminal history, child abuse, and dependent adult abuse background checks before working in licensed child care settings.
Program: Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program (SWVPP)
Website: https://educateiowa.gov
Description: Iowa's Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program provides access to high-quality preschool experiences that prepare four-year-old children for kindergarten success.
Program: Iowa Early ACCESS
Website: https://educateiowa.gov
Description: Early ACCESS provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities while supporting families through coordinated services.
Organization: Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral
Website: https://www.iowaccrr.org
Description: Provides workforce initiatives, scholarships, quality improvement supports, grants, and professional development opportunities for Iowa's early childhood professionals.
Training requirements include health and safety, pediatric CPR and First Aid, mandatory reporter training, safe sleep, emergency preparedness, child development, and ongoing professional development.
Website: https://hhs.iowa.gov/programs/programs-and-services/child-care
Description: Access licensing applications, provider forms, inspection reports, regulations, background check information, and additional child care resources.
Website: https://hhs.iowa.gov/programs/programs-and-services/child-care
Description: Stay informed about licensing updates, policy changes, grant opportunities, quality initiatives, professional development, and early childhood news throughout Iowa.
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