Illinois Annual Child Care Report FY2023

FY23 Child Care Annual Report (pdf)

Vision for the Division of Early Childhood in Illinois

Illinois' pregnant persons, young children and families have the supports they need to achieve their full potential.

Introduction

As required by State Statute 20 ILCS 505/5.15, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) submits an

annual report to the Governor and Illinois General Assembly about the status of its child care program. The

program is administered by the IDHS Division of Early Childhood (DEC). This report includes information on the

Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), including response to the COVID-19 pandemic within CCAP and Quality

Improvement Programs. The 2022 Illinois Child Care Report includes information for the Fiscal Year 2022 (July

1, 2021 - June 30, 2022), FY21 and FY20. The data in this report are from: a) the Child Care Management System

(CCMS), b) the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies' (INCCRRA) aggregate database of

the local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) parent customers, child care providers, and professional

development activities; and c) the Gateways to Opportunity Registry. IDHS thanks the thousands of centerbased

staff, family child care providers, and CCR&R staff for their support in the care and education of Illinois

children. The Illinois Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS) is the agency responsible for licensing

child care providers.

Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International

Concern in January 2020 and a pandemic in March 2020. In December 2020, U.S. Congress passed the

Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA), which awarded $331 million

in child care relief to Illinois. In March 2021, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which

awarded $1.312 billion in additional child care relief to Illinois. The following are financial considerations the

Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) has taken in Fiscal Year 2023 in response to the economic strain

the child care space has experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Child Care Stabilization Grants

• In FY23, IDHS invested over $347,728,754 in CRRSA and the ARPA.
• In FY22, over $512,879,967 in CRRSA and ARPA funds were invested to support the sustainability of the child care field.
• In FY21, over $271 million in CRRSA and ARPA funds were invested to support the sustainability of the child care field.

Child Care Program Funding Streams and Expenditures

Funding for the Child Care Program in Illinois consists of several funding streams: State General Revenue Fund

(GRF), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF).

The CCDF regulations establish allowable uses of CCDF funds related to the provision of child care services,

activities to improve the quality of child care, and administrative costs. In addition, the rules establish matching

fund requirements, restrictions on the use of funds, and cost allocations.

The following chart shows the Child Care Expenditures for FY23, FY22 and FY21

Name	FY23	%	FY22	%	FY21	%
State GRF	$124,735,614	10%	$118,174,104	11%	$291,403,153	31%
TANF	$773,376,674	61%	$594,007,895	58%	$408,103,628	44%
CCDF	$375,324,183	29%	$320,827,222	31%	$228,781,693	25%
TOTAL	$1,273,436,471	100%	$1,033,009,222	100%	$928,288,473	100%

Note: This chart does not include federal child care relief funds received through CRRSA or ARPA.

Quality Expenses

FY	Amount
FY22	$70,979,545
FY21	$63,536,552
FY20	$55,992,956

Federal Priorities

The IDHS Division of Early Childhood sets policy and develops programs consistent with the federal

Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Child Care's philosophy and vision. ACF's overall goal is

"to promote healthy, happy and successful children." Its philosophy includes a focus on the continuum of

high-quality care for children up to age 13 and partnerships across child care, education, Head Start and health

for a broader delivery system that expands family choices.

In November 2014, Congress reauthorized the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). This was a

historic re-envisioning of child care. The four major topic areas of the law are:

• Protect the health and safety of children in child care.
• Help parents make informed consumer choices and access information to support child development.
• Provide equal access to stable, high quality child care for low-income children.
• Enhance the quality of child care and the early childhood workforce.

During FY23, CCAP continued to address the provisions of the CCDBG Act of 2014 while administering the CCAP

programs under the previous federal priorities.

Child Care Assistance Program

IDHS works with local Illinois communities to provide low-income families with access to affordable, quality child

care. The CCAP serves children under age 13; and children under age 19 who are under court supervision or

have physical or mental incapacities as documented by a statement from a local health provider or other health

professional.

CCAP has two primary goals:

• 1. To support qualifying low-income families by providing child care subsidies. This allows parents to
• seek and/or maintain employment or educational activities, thereby decreasing dependence on public
• assistance; and
• 2. To allow families access to multiple options for affordable, quality child care, early education, and after
• school programs that offer children the opportunity to grow, learn and be cared for in safe, nurturing
• settings that are culturally and developmentally appropriate.

Child Care Resource and Referral Agency Services

• Determine CCAP eligibility, manage cases and process payments for families living in their service delivery area and their providers.
• Engage families with consumer education on child care options and quality as well as information about child care financial assistance (CCAP subsidy).
• Engage child care providers to identify the availability of child care.
• Provide families seeking a child care provider a list of referrals that meet the families' needs.
• Provide training and technical assistance for child care providers.
• Promote and assist child care providers to meet higher quality.
• Referral to other IDHS programs and community services.

Site Administered Child Care

• * The portion of the CCAP managed by licensed child care providers and/or home networks who have a
• contract with the Department.
• * These providers determine CCAP eligibility and bill IDHS directly for child care services that they provide
• to a contracted number of children enrolled in CCAP.

• CCAP Enrollment

• Type	FY23	FY22	FY22
  Children Served	199,724	158,607	158,607
  Families Served	117,805	59,295	59,295
  Monthly Average of children	114,274	96,829	96,829
  Monthly Average of families	66,327	55,246	55,246

• Profile of Children Participating in CCAP

• • 73% are in licensed care in FY23, compared to 75.9% in FY22, and 73% in FY21
  • 16% are in the care of relatives
  • 11% are in the care of license-exempt centers, non-relative in child's home and provider's home

• Number of Children by Age Participating in CCAP in March 2023

• Child's Age	FY23 Enrolled in CCAP	%	FY22 Enrolled in CCAP	%	FY21 Enrolled in CCAP	%
  0-14 Months	7,133	6.00%	5,955	5.80%	5,571	5.3%
  15-23 Months	8,660	7.00%	7,047	6.90%	8,001	7.60%
  2 Years	12,712	11.00%	11,711	11.40%	11,854	11.30%
  3-4 Years	28,183	24.00%	25,738	25.00%	24,333	23.10%
  5 Years	11,120	10.00%	10,506	10.20%	12,079	10.50%
  6-12 Years	46,074	40.00%	40,051	38.9%	43,296	41.00%
  13 Years +	2,547	2.00%	1,864	1.80%	1,254	1.20%
  Total	116,429	100%	102,884	100%	105,339	100%

• Profile of families participating in the CCAP in March 2023

• * 94% of families received subsidies because of employment.
• * 1.5% of families had TANF as a source of income.

• Profile of families participating in the CCAP in March 2022

• * 93.6% of families received subsidies because of employment.
• * 2.6% of families had TANF as a source of income.

• Profile of families participating in the CCAP in March 2021

• * 98.6% of families received subsidies because of employment.
• * 2.3% of families had TANF as a source of income

• Annual Income Guidelines by Family Size

• A family is considered income eligible when the combined gross non-exempt monthly base income (earned and

  unearned) of all family members is at or below the amounts listed below for the corresponding family size. In

  two-parent families both incomes must be combined to determine eligibility. Two-parent families include those

  with two or more adults living in the home, such as the applicant and spouse or parents of a common child in

  the home.

  Income for a new application must be at 225% or below of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) for the family to be

  income eligible for CCAP.

  Family income must be at or below 275% FPL for a family to receive another 12-month eligibility period at

  redetermination.

  Existing case being redetermined will be eligible for a 3-month Graduated Phase-out period with family income

  above 275% FPL and below 85% State Median Income (SMI).

  The family is no longer eligible for CCAP any time income exceeds 85% SMI.

• Income Guidelines by Family Size

• FY	Family Size: 2	Family Size: 3	Family Size: 4	Family Size: 5	Family Size: 6	Family Size: 7	Family Size: 8
  FY21	$30,456	$38,448	$46,440	$54,432	$62,424	$70,416	$78,408
  FY22	$34,836	$43,920	$53,004	$62,076	$71,160	$80,244	$98,400
  FY23	$41,196	$51,816	$62,436	$73,056	$83,676	$94,296	$104,916

• Number of CCAP families by Monthly Co-Payment Amount (FY23)

• Parents who have been approved for child care benefits are required to help pay for the cost of their child care

  with a co-payment. Copayments are waived for Protective Service families (homeless, participation in certain

  DCFS programs, military deployment...). Copayments for families with income below 100% of the federal poverty

  level, or where a parent/guardian is working in a child care setting.

  If the co-payment is more than the total cost for care, the parent pays the lesser amount to the provider and

  no payment is made by the state. The amount of the parent co-payment is based on gross monthly income and

  family size. Parent co-payments will be reduced by half during the months of September through May when all

  the children in care are school age (age 5 or older as of the month of September of each school year) and are

  approved for less than five hours of care.

• FY23 Number of Families by Monthly Co-Payment Amount

• Co-Pay Amount	Numbers of Families	Percent of Families
  $0	2,598	2.45%
  $1 to $25	35,741	33.68%
  $26 to $50	6,099	5.75%
  $51 to $100	13,502	12.72%
  $101 to $200	25,760	24.28%
  Greater than $200	22,412	21.12%
  Total	106,112	100.00%

• Types of Child Care settings

• Child Care Centers & Programs - Provide care for groups of children outside of a residential setting. Children are usually grouped by age. Types of centers include: child care, Early Head Start/Head Start, State pre-kindergarten, preschools, school age programs, and summer programs.
• * Licensed Child Care Centers - must meet DCFS standards for health and safety including child to staff ratios and required space per child.
• * Licensed-Exempt Child Care Centers - are also recognized by Illinois, such as those serving children three years of age and older and operated by public or private elementary or secondary schools, faith-based organizations, institutions of higher education of other accredited schools registered with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Since these settings are not licensed by DCFS, they are not held to standards for staff to child ratios or maximum group size set by DCFS. Centers claiming exemption from licensing must submit a Confirmation of Exemption letter from the DCFS to be approved for payment from CCAP.
• Family Child Care - Child care is offered in a homelike setting.
• * Licensed Family Child Care - may care for up to eight children (including their own), or up to 12 children with an assistant.
• *License-Exempt Family Child Care - (such as family, friend, and neighbor) may care for three or fewer children (including their own), or children from one family. This care can be offered in the caregiver's home or in the child's home.

• Profile of Child Care Providers Participating in CCAP in FY23

• * 56% of the license-exempt child care providers cared for relative children.
• * 73% of all CCAP providers were license exempt.

• CCR&R Agency Services for Child Care Providers Participating in CCAP

• * Administration of parent applications.
• * Determination of provider eligibility for CCAP.
• * Processing of Monthly Child Care Certificates.
• * Technical assistance to providers regarding CCAP.
• * Assist with ensuring that license-exempt providers are notified and complete background check and training requirements.
• * Provide CCAP required health, safety and child development training.
• Number of Providers Receiving CCAP Payments

• 	FY23	FY22	FY21
  Licensed Providers
  Child Care Centers	2,241	1,850	2,201
  Family Child Care Homes	4,180	3,671	4,557
  Group Child Care Homes	481	388	457
  Total	6,902	5,909	7,215
  License Exempt Providers
  LE Centers	904	550	722
  Family Child Care Homes:
  Non-relative in provider's home	2,139	1,105	7,718
  Relative in provider's home	9,151	4,402	2,723
  Non-relative in child's home	1,263	615	1,582
  Relative in child's home	5,213	2,456	4,587
  Total	18,670	9,128	17,332
  Total all providers	25,572	15,037	25,547

• Child Care Supply

• The CCR&Rs Agencies support child care providers by referring families to their child care programs. The referral services are available at no cost to licensed centers, family child care homes, and group child care homes listed in the provider database as well as to license-exempt centers and homes that choose to be included in the provider database. The provider database information is shown in the next table.
• Statewide Child Care Database

• Year	FY 23	FY23	FY22	FY22	FY 21	FY21
  Type	# of providers	Child Capacity	# of providers	Child Capacity	# of providers	Child capacity
  Licensed Family Homes	5,701	56,034	5,872	57,977	6,797	61,940
  LE Family Homes	509	1,654	642	1,850	1,030	1,583
  Total	6,210	57,688	6,514	59,827	7,827	63,523
  Licensed Centers	2,787	239,143	2,789	239,131	3,005	238,972
  LE Centers	2,631	190,319	2,577	187,997	2,368	163,814
  Total	5,418	429,462	5,366	427,128	5,373	402,786

• Child Care Demand

• There are two dimensions of the "demand" for child care in any community.
• 1. The number of children needing child care compared to the child care capacity available to meet the needs.
• 2. The unique requirements of families for their specific child's needs, such as the child's age, type of care desired, parent's work/school schedule, location, special needs of the child and cost.

• Snapshot of Families Receiving Child Care Referrals in FY23

• * 7,357 families received child care referrals by phone*
• * 79% of families required care due to employment
• *With the ExceleRate site for the provider search (online referrals), parents no longer must register for an account in order to search, therefore families served online is no longer tracked.

• Snapshot of Families Receiving Child Care Referrals in FY22

• * 6,790 families received child care referrals by phone or online
• * 82% of families required care due to employment

• Snapshot of Families Receiving Child Care Referrals in FY21

• * 4,666 families received child care referrals by phone or online
• * 80% of families required care due to employment
• Schedules Requested for Children and Offered by Type of Provider in FY23

• Schedule	Requested for Children	Offered: Family Child Care Homes	Offered: Child Care Centers	Offered: Providers Total
  Standard Hours*	11,609	4,855	4,857	9,712
  Evening	574	1,641	2,119	3,760
  Weekend	657	528	35	563
  Overnight	250	212	11	223
  Rotating	207	1,396	549	1,945
  Temp/Emergency	57	1,624	528	2,152
  Drop In	74	1,631	651	2,282

• *A standard schedule is full-time care offered during traditional day time work hours.
• Number of Children for Whom Child Care was requested by Age

Age of Child	FY23 Requests	Percent	FY22 Requests	Percent	FY21 Requests	Percent
Birth to 2 years	4,502	35.10%	4,153	35.10%	2,292	31%
2-year-old	1,868	14.60%	1,679	14.20%	990	13%
3-4-year-old	2,857	22.30%	2,655	22.40%	1,662	22%
5-year-old	855	6.70%	805	7%	568	8%
School Age	2,739	21.30%	2,523	21.30%	1,970	26%
Total	12,821	100%	11,815	100%	7,482	100%

• Child Care Request by Type of Care

• Type of Care	FY23 Requests	Percent	FY22 Requests	Percent	FY21 Requests	Percent
  Child Care Center	11,665	55%	10,714	53%	6,243	51%
  Family Homes	9,421	45%	9,486	47%	6,035	49%
  Total	21,086	100%	20,200	100%	12,278	100%

• Data Context

• Much of the Child Care Demand data are from the parent customer and child care databases compiled by the local CCR&Rs. Therefore, the data presented does not include all families and children requiring child care services in Illinois. Most families do not receive child care assistance and many families find child care services through friends, families, advertisements and other means. Additionally, many license-exempt child care programs are not listed in the provider database. Because of these factors, it is important to note that this report is only one way of examining the larger child care supply and demand picture in Illinois.

• Quality Improvement Programs

• During FY23, the federal CCDF required at least nine percent of federal funds be allocated for the improvement of child care quality, plus an additional three percent for quality for infants and toddlers. These funds were used to support the IDHS' Division of Early Childhood Quality Improvement Initiatives. The program's overall goal is to increase the quality of child care available to all Illinois families. In all child care settings this goal is addressed with a multi-faceted, systematic approach that works to meet the individual needs of children, families, child care providers and communities. In FY23, IDHS contracted with 16 local CCR&R agencies and the INCCRRA to implement the quality services described on the following pages.

• Pathways to Excellence for Child Care Programs

• Maintaining a Quality Recognition and Improvement System

• ExceleRate Illinois is a state-wide, cross sector, quality recognition and improvement system designed to make continuous quality improvement an everyday priority among early learning providers. The program establishes standards for helping infants, toddlers and preschool age children develop intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally. It provides a framework for early learning professionals to identify opportunities for improvement, increase their skills and take steps to make positive changes. ExceleRate includes licensed child care centers and licensed family child care homes, Head Start and State Preschool for All (PFA) programs. ExceleRate Illinois recognizes early learning providers for their ongoing efforts to improve the quality of their care by awarding Circle of Quality designations:
• * The Licensed Circle of Quality tells you that the program meets state licensing standards for quality. It is the foundation for quality.
• * The Bronze Circle of Quality recognizes the qualifications of program staff. It tells you that the program has completed ExceleRate Illinois trainings, has met or is working towards qualifications and is engaged in continuous quality improvement.
• * The Silver Circle of Quality recognizes that the program has met quality goals. Silver Circle programs meet or go beyond quality standards in three areas: learning environment and teaching quality; administrative standards; and training & education. Programs are actively engaged in continuous quality improvement.
• * The Gold Circle of Quality recognizes programs that meet or go beyond the highest quality goals. Gold Circle programs have met the highest quality standards in three areas: learning environment and teaching quality; administrative standards; and training & education. Programs are actively engaged in continuous quality improvement.
• The following table shows data for licensed centers and licensed homes, number of CCAP children enrolled by Circles of Quality.

• Year	FY23	FY23	FY23	FY23	FY22	FY22	FY22	FY22	FY21	FY21	FY21	FY21
  Type	Centers	Children Enrolled	Homes	Children Enrolled	Centers	Children Enrolled	Homes	Children Enrolled	Centers	Children Enrolled	Homes	Children Enrolled
  Bronze	55	1,749	169	1,211	109	2,514	187	1,267	117	2,661	184	1,201
  Silver	299	7,824	97	1,013	317	7,111	111	1,065	332	7,224	125	1,173
  Gold	279	11,959	17	150	353	13,506	15	125	386	13,417	20	139
  Total	633	21,532	283	2,374	779	23,131	313	2,457	835	23,302	329	2,513
  non-CCAP		27,122		663		32,562		767		29,000		782
  Total	633	48,654	283	3,037	779	55,693	313	3,224	835	52,302		3,295

• *Enrollment /CCAP numbers are reported at time of initial application and updated annually.

• Year	FY23	FY23	FY22	FY22	FY21	FY21
  Type	LE Family Homes	CCAP Children enrolled	LE Family Homes	CCAP Children enrolled	LE Family Homes	CCAP Children enrolled
  Tier 1	565	1,120	561	1,112	556	1,106
  Tier 2	191	384	185	372	185	377
  Tier 3	1,206	2,728	1,132	2,566	1,116	2,520
  Total	1,962	4,232	1,878	4,050	1,857	4,003

• Illinois is one of only a handful of states that has implemented a quality improvement program for License- Exempt Family Child Care providers (LEFCC). LEFCC providers can participate by completing Training Tiers consisting of 16, 3-hour modules. The Training Tiers are described below:
• * CCAP numbers reported at time of initial application.
• * Training Tier 1 modules include: Overview of Child Development; Health Issues in Group Care; Nutrition Issues in Group Care; and Safety Issues in Group Care.
• * Training Tier 2 modules include: Observation and Guidance; Learning Happens in Relationships; Family & Community Relationships; and Personal & Professional Development.
• * Training Tier 3 modules include: Child Growth and Development for Birth to 8 Months; Child Growth and Development for 8 - 18 Months; Child Growth and Development for 18 - 36 Months; Preschool Child - Social/Emotional Development; Preschool Child - Physical Development; Preschool Child - Language Development; Preschool Child - Cognitive Development; and School Age Development.
• * The Gateways ECE Credential Level 1 is achieved upon completion of all three tiers.

• Pathways to Excellence for Child Care Providers

• Maintaining Strong Professional Development and Supportive Workforce Initiatives

• Responsive, well-qualified practitioners are one of the most important factors in child care settings. IDHS provides professional development opportunities to child care providers. These services are available to child care providers listed on the statewide database, including licensed and license-exempt practitioners. The following pages give some data on these programs for FY23. The Illinois Trainers Network (ITN) provides training to individual trainers and facilitators as well as child care providers on topics such as ECE Credential Level 1, developmentally appropriate practices, Program Infant Toddler Care series (PITC), School Age and Youth Development Level 1, Early Childhood Developmental Screening, and others. Child care providers can access these trainings through their local CCR&Rs.

• Training Activity

• ExceleRate IllinoisTM Training

• Column1	FY23	FY22	FY21
  Number of participants	1,828	1,370	1,017

• *Some of the ExceleRate Illinois-approved topics are multi-session trainings. *ExceleRate Illinois Training are part of the Illinois Trainer's Network
• Illinois Trainers Network (ITN) Training

• Year	FY23	FY22	FY21
  Number of ITN curricula offered	5	5	5
  Number of participants	2,683	2,719	2,075

• *Some of the ITN curricula are multi-session trainings. *Number of ITN Curricula does not include ExceleRate training curricula.
• CCR&R Training Offered

• Year	FY23	FY22	FY21
  Number of training sessions held	1,514	1,388	1,320
  Number of training participants	17,223	17,269	14,436
  Number of training hours achieved	43,099	41,067	33,008

• Online Training

• Year	FY23	FY22	FY21
  Number of online training topics offered	192	94	97
  Number of online training participants	289,093	209,721	172,771
  Number of online training hours achieved	575,534	441,581	358,465

• Gateways to Opportunity Professional Development System

• The Gateways to Opportunity Professional Development System provides supports for professionals working

  with children, youth and families. These supports include Credentials; the Gateways Scholarship Program; the

  Great START Wage Supplement program; Professional Development Advisors; and the Gateways to Opportunity

  Registry.

• Great START (Strategy to Attract and Retain Teachers)

• Great START is a wage supplement program available to the lowest wage earners employed by licensed child care centers and family child care homes; it recognizes those who have achieved an educational level higher than the one required by DCFS Licensing Standards, and recipients must have been employed by the same program for at least one continuous year or by a program that holds a current ExceleRate Illinois Silver or Gold Circle of Quality for at least six months and work an average of 15 hours a week. Participants renew their eligibility every six months.

• Year	FY23	FY22	FY21
  Total Participants	3,842	3,118	3,333

• Gateways to Opportunity Scholarship Program

• The Gateways Scholarship Program is available to individuals employed by licensed child care centers and

  licensed family child care homes. The scholarship enables practitioners to earn degrees, certificates or

  credentials in early care and education and school age child care.

• Year	FY23	FY22	FY21
  Family Child Care Practicioners	73	82	114
  Child Care Center Staff	422	470	609
  Credits Taken	4,504	5,915	7,470
  Degrees Completed	145	134	22

• Gateways to Opportunity Registry

• The Gateways to Opportunity Registry (Registry), administered by INCCRRA, is a resource and a tool to drive the

  quality and accountability of the professional development that is available to early learning, school-age and

  youth practitioners. It is also used to track the CCAP provider training completion. Anyone who works with or on

  behalf of children, youth and families in Illinois can become a member of the Gateways Registry. As of June 30,

  2023, the Registry membership was 111,388 an increase of 4,769 members over FY22. The Registry membership

  includes licensed and license exempt Day Care Centers, Family Day Care Homes, and Group Day Care Homes.

  Registry membership is required by DCFS Licensing Standards for licensed programs.

• Type of Program and Position (Where Registry Members are Working)

• Based on employment data for the 106,619 current Registry members:

  • 4% work in Indirect Service, such as child care resource and referral and higher education.
  • 96% work in Direct Services
  • 73% work in Licensed Child Care Centers.
  • 14% work in Licensed Family/Group Child Care Homes.
  • 13% work in License-exempt child care settings.

• Gateways to Opportunity Credentials

• The Gateways Credentials validate an individual's educational attainment and professional experience. The

  credentials are recognized by the State of Illinois in the DCFS Licensing Standards for Day Care Centers and in

  the IDHS Great START program. ExceleRate Illinois TM has credential requirements for the Bronze, Silver and

  Gold Circles of Quality. A variety of credentials are available for practitioners who work with, or on behalf of,

  children, youth and families.

• * Illinois Director Credentials (IDC): The IDC is appropriate for directors and program coordinators of early childhood and school-age child care settings. It is awarded at three (3) levels: Associate, Bachelor, and Graduate. The credential has requirements in: General Education; Education specific to Early Childhood Education/Child Development; Education specific to Management and Administration; and Work Experience and Professional Contributions to the field.
• * ECE Credential: is appropriate for professionals working in early childhood settings. It is awarded at six (6) levels ranging from Level 1 (an entry level credential earned by completing a 48 clock-hour training covering many topics related to leading programs for this age group, birth to 8 years of age, including but not limited to human development) to Level 6, which is the Graduate Level Credential. ECE Credential Levels 2-6 have requirements in General Education, Early Childhood Education, Work/Practicum Experience and Professional Contributions to the field.
• * Infant Toddler Credential (ITC): is a specialization for the ECE Credential and is appropriate for professionals working with children younger than three years of age. It is awarded at five levels from Level 1 (12 ECE credits and 3 Infant Toddler credits) to Level 6 (Graduate Degree). Levels 2-6 have requirements in General Education, Early Childhood Education specific to Infants/Toddlers, Work/Practicum Experience specific to Infants/Toddlers, and Professional Contributions specific to Infants/Toddlers.
• * School-Age/Youth Development (SAYD) Credential Level: is an entry level/48 clock-hour training covering many topics related to leading programs for this age group (8 - 18 years of age), including but not limited to human development; health and safety; program development; community relations; communication with parents, and others. SAYD Credential Levels 2-5 have requirements in General Education, Early Childhood Education, Work/Practicum Experience and Professional Contributions for the field. 
• * Family Child Care Credential (FCC): is for professionals working as a family child care provider with children ages birth through 12 years. It is awarded at four levels from Level 2 (6 credits in ECE/SA plus 3 credits in FCC) to Level 5 (Baccalaureate Degree). Levels 2-5 have requirements in General Education, Early Childhood Education, Family Child Care (FCC), Work/Practicum Experience and Professional Contribution specific to ECE and FCC
• * Family Specialist Credential (FSC): is for direct service professionals who work with families using a strengthbased model to promote optimal child care family outcomes. It is awarded at four levels from Level 2 (6 credits of FSC content) to level 5 (Baccalaureate Degree). Level 2-5 have requirements in General Education, Education specific to Family Specialists, Work/Practicum Experience and Professional Contribution specific to FSC.
• * Technical Assistance Credential (TA): is designed for professionals working in a variety of roles that relate to relationship-based professional development, such as technical assistance providers, coaches, mentors, and professional development advisors. It is awarded at three (3) levels: Associate, Bachelor, and Graduate. This credential has requirements in: General Education; Education specific to Early Childhood/School Age (EC/SA), and EC/SA coaching, mentoring or technical assistance, Work Experience specific to Early Childhood/School Age (EC/SA), EC/SA coaching or technical assistance, and Professional Contributions to the field.
• * ESL & Bilingual Credential: The Gateways ESL & Bilingual Credential is an add-on to the ECE Credential. It is for early care and education professionals who have formal college education, training, and experience with multilingual/multicultural children and families, either in the form of supervised observation/experience or direct work experience.

• Credential	First Awarded In	FY21	FY22	FY23	Total Awarded
  ECE Credential - Level 1	FY06	5,451	5,332	5,222	59,534
  ECE Credential - Levels 2-6	FY08	1,883	1,960	1,889	19,893
  Infant Toddler Credential	FY09	1,113	778	937	8,979
  Illinois Director Credential	FY00	562	399	483	4,807
  SAYD Credential - Level 1	FY11	3	57	212	730
  School-Age Credential-Levels 2-6	FY16	46	39	84	567
  Youth Development Credential	FY16	**	**	**	49
  Family Child Care Credential	FY16	82	69	59	684
  Family Specialist Credential	FY16	308	398	109	1,597
  Technical Assistance Credential		4	14	6	108
  ESL & Bilingual Credential	FY21	8	2	19	29
  Total		9,460	9,048	9,020	96,977