Several sectors and levels of organizations, agencies, and projects are involved in promoting and providing education, care, and intervention services for young children and their families in Illinois. State government entities involved in matters of early care and education include the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Department of…

Development in the understanding and education of responsible citizenship is an important priority for higher education institutions. Evidence of this importance is expressed in the mission statements of many colleges and universities throughout the United States. As increasing numbers of students take advantage of distance education, it is…

Provides updated information about expansion of a family-service project in Evanston, Illinois, describing new centers and affiliates, activities, and programs. (MP)

Describes conception and implementation of a statewide 24-hour toll-free crisis line funded by the Illinois Department of Agriculture to assist farmers and their families in coping with stress generated by the deepening farm crisis. Reports over 2,665 calls in a 13-month period regarding depression, psychosomatic symptoms, marital/family problems,…

Describes and evaluates a model for agency-based staff development training for a county mental health unit. Concludes it can be a useful way to identify and resolve problems. (Author/MCF)

Noting that prevention is the key to healthy development of the youngest children in Illinois, the Birth to Three Project is working to develop a comprehensive, coordinated system of services for expecting families and children under 3 years of age. This progress report details the first year implementation of the All Our Kids (AOK): Birth to…

Cost effectiveness of the program cannot be accurately determined. Assessment is based on actual self-care rather than proving poverty. A flexible approach is taken toward disability level and family support. States should keep community care flexible and available at acceptable cost. (JAC)

The report examines the major activities, input, and results of the Illinois Office of Education's Area Learning Resource Center Project, a program through which state and national resources and services are transmitted to special education programs and personnel at the local level. It is reported that the project accomplished its goals by…

This document is designed to assist Illinois Elementary Secondary Education Act Title III project directors in familiarizing all phases of the public with their innovative programs. The first section of the document is an overview. The sections that follow give an explanation of the dissemination goals and certain conditions most suitable for…

This report synthesizes information from public record documents and comments from Early/Head Start program directors and activities from the Illinois Head Start Collaboration Office. Data were obtained from more than 101 mail survey responses from early childhood providers, 38 phone narrative/anecdotal surveys, more than 50 telephone surveys, and…

Describes the impact of the loss of private and public sector industry on west central Illinois. Explains cooperative efforts to establish and operate a dislocated worker program and develop a responsive delivery system. Looks at elements important to the success of the Galesburg Dislocated Worker Center, including exceptional grass roots effort…

As the state of Illinois moves toward an integrated system of universally accessible early care and education, policymakers grapple with issues regarding who, where, how, and at what cost quality services should be provided. In order to inform this policy debate, this report describes the for-profit sector of Illinois' formal early care and…

Six papers focus on aspects of the Macomb (Illinois) 0-3 Regional Project, a rural home based program to assist parents and their handicapped and high risk infants and toddlers. The first paper discusses the role and operation of home visits, with emphasis on the functions of the child development specialist (CDS). The second paper describes the…

A decentralized noncenter agreement pattern of inter-school district cooperation is examined in this final of four case studies addressing access of rural students to vocational education. The report identifies essential features of this form of cooperation, details factors facilitating/impeding the operation/maintenance of the cooperative…

The federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) has launched a five-year initiative that will support state efforts to build comprehensive early childhood service systems. This initiative--the State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (SECCS) Initiative--provides planning and implementation grants to the state and territory Maternal and…