News

Did you know? The Essentials of Home Visiting trainings…

Did you know? The Essentials of Home Visiting trainings… can be used to meet requirements for PAT Parent Educator Certification renewal are approved training opportunities for multiple credentials meet requirements of program models for continuing education are IACET accredited (International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training)  Take a look at upcoming webinars in October listed below and […]

Solutions for Addressing Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health

In this blog post, Alli Lowe-Fotos, policy manager, shares several solutions for challenges facing the Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health system. Infant and early childhood mental health (I/ECMH) has long been part of Illinois’ infrastructure and continues to play an integral role in our early childhood systems. In fact, in 2003, the state passed the Children’s Mental […]

Chats for Dads ~ First Monday of each Month

What can I do to support my partner? Am I the only guy who’s struggling with becoming a dad? Join our Chat with an Expert phone forum the first Monday of every month for reliable information, support, and resources. This is a place where dads, partners, extended family members or other support people, and professionals […]

Monthly Dad Support Group

Free online space for dads to connect with other dads and gain practical tips from managing stress, adjusting to parenting, Daddy Blues, or trying to figure out how best to support their partner. First Friday of Every Month at 9:00 am (Central Time Zone). Register here.

Equity from the Start: Reimagining the Early Childhood System

Join Illinois Action for Children for a three-day virtual event of learning, convening, and courageous conversations June 8-10, in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood, Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, and The Center: Early Childhood Professional Learning. The theme of this year’s conference is Equity from the Start: […]

Bilingual Baby Brains

Dr. Naja Ferjan Ramirez measured brain waves from 11-month-olds. She found that bilingual babies showed responses to both languages and had stronger brain responses in areas responsible for executive function. She noted that experiencing a second language during infancy and early childhood can help children develop native-like fluency. Interested? Read or watch more in English […]

Start Early & Early Learning Lab Announce Merger to Elevate Parent Voice & Improve Early Childhood Systems Across the Country

Start Early (formerly known as the Ounce) is pleased to announce the merger of Start Early and the Early Learning Lab (ELL), a nonprofit with expertise in human-centered design, systems thinking and technology solutions. As part of the merger, ELL will join Start Early as a new division operating under chief learning officer Rebecca Berlin. The merger will […]

NEAR@Home Toolkit: A Guided Process to Talk About Trauma and Resilience in Home Visiting

In the last three decades, scientific research has demonstrated how deeply adversity in childhood becomes embedded into biology, behavior, and risk, and how these can be passed on to future generations. This body of science — Neuroscience, Epigenetics, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE), and Resilience research, or NEAR — is one of the largest public health discoveries of our time. […]