Priorities
children in 12 of
A Call to Action
When young children do not have what they need to grow and develop, it can have a long lasting negative impact on their future success later in life. Unfortunately, there are a number of systemic barriers that prevents this from happening.
In Southern Illinois there are not enough programs/ services to meet the needs of children and families in the region.
A teacher shortage/staffing crisis is limiting the capacity of current programs and/ or new programs to grow
Families continue to face barriers to accessing the programs and services they need to thrive, especially those living in the most rural areas
Communities do not prioritize the needs of children in families in policies, planning, funding, or decision making
There are not enough early childhood education and care programs in southern Illinois to meet the needs of children and families, especially children age birth to three years of age.
On average, just over
Less than
Coalition members believe that ALL children should have access to the programs and services they need to succeed.
Engaging Stakeholders
The Coalition moved to a new structure in the Fall of 2025. We will be hosting at least 2 partner meetings per year so that more individuals can be involved in the Coalition’s higher level decision making process. This group kicked off the strategic planning process in November 2025 by reviewing data and endorsing five priority areas. By including key partners in this level of decision making, we hope to planning process we hope to enhance the Coalition’s ability to achieve the desired results
The Coalition's Strategic Priorities 2026-2029
At the Coalition’s Partner meeting in November 2025, members endorsed the continuation of the following priorities .
Child-centered Communities
School Readiness
Screening
Strong Families
Early Childhood Workforce
Creating Blueprints to Do the Work
Coalition member are now working on developing action-oriented workplans to guide our work for the next three years. These plans include clarifying the problem(s) they are trying to address, identifying a goal or common agenda for their work, creating objectives or mutually reinforcing activities, and identifying desirable results with measurable outcomes.
Community System Partners
Systems changes require coordination, communication, and CONNECTIONS between community members and groups. To that end, Coalition members have been intentional in making connections/ links with other community coalitions, collaborations, and initiatives. Current community system partnerships include:
