June 20th, 2025 - Special Agenda and Meeting Report

Audience

Open to the general public

Time

2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Location

This meeting will be held via Zoom teleconferencing. To participate via Zoom teleconferencing, please utilize the link below provided by Illinois Early Intervention Training to register for the meeting.

Special IICEI Registration: Friday, June, 20th 2025

Once you register, you will be provided with an immediate confirmation, that will indicate Zoom participation information will be forthcoming. You will receive an email with specific access instructions and your unique Zoom link closer to the meeting date.

Agenda

  • Welcome and Introduction of Council Members
  • Meeting Purpose and Goals
  • Summary of Feedback Received and Revised Draft Overview
  • Council Discussion: Key Questions and Alignment Opportunities
  • Summary of Next Steps
  • Public Comment

Attendees

IICEI Members In Attendance
Alison Liddle, Provider Representative/Chairperson Yes
Aasma Tariq, Parent Representative Yes
Anastasios "Taso" Michalopulos, Provider Representative Yes
Angel Williams, Illinois Department of Child and Family Services No
Angelia Lee, Head Start Representative No
Benny Delgado, IDHS, Chief, Bureau of Early Intervention Yes
Brittni Monreal, Parent Representative Yes
Carol Muhammad, Child & Family Connections (CFC) 10 Manager, Urban Representative Yes
Chuck Farr, Child & Family Connections (CFC) 13 Program Manager, Rural Representative Yes
Ginger Mullin, IL Dept. of Public Health No
Jennifer Gentile, IL Dept. of Human Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities No
Kate Ulmer, ISBE, McKinney-Vento, Homeless Representative Yes
Kesha Harris, Parent Representative Yes
Kristy Doan, IL State Board of Education No
Lisa Betz, Child and Adolescent Services Div of Mental Health No
Lisa Karp, Parent Representative Yes
Lynnette DeGraffenreid, Provider Representative No
Matthew Pickett, IL Dept. of Insurance Yes
Meredith Barnes, Parent Representative Yes
Michael Garner-Jones, IL Dept. of Human Services, Bureau of Subsidy Mgmt. (Child Care) Yes
Rosa (Amy) Milagros Santos, Personnel Preparation Representative No
Shelly Roat, IL Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) Yes
Zareen Kamal, Advocate Representative Yes
Zee Parton, Provider Representative Yes

Council Packet Contents

  • Agenda
  • Meeting Documents
  • Briefing

Minutes

1) Call to Order

There was a brief technical glitch with the Zoom meeting space. Alison Liddle, Illinois Interagency Council on Early Intervention Chair, called the meeting to order at 2:42.

2) Introductions of Council Members

Members introduced themselves and stated their agency/role on the Council.

Quorum present. Meeting proceeded.

3) Meeting Purpose and Goals

Sharing her appreciation for all participating in this meeting on short notice, Ali briefly shared the purpose of the meeting as the result of a motion made in the April quarterly meeting for greater understanding of the IDEC Birth through 3 Co-Design process. This meeting is also to further explore the expectations of the Council and how they, along with other stakeholders, can actively participate moving forward.

Ali also invited comments from the community emphasizing that because of the timeframe and format of this meeting, comments likely would not be addressed at this time. She encouraged all to reach out directly to their Council representative with questions/comments and further discussion.

4) Summary of Feedback Received and Revised Draft Overview

Ali shared an overview of the goals drafted and distributed to Council Members to help guide discussion. The Council is looking for some clarity on the scope and intended outcomes of the co-design.

  • Specific systems/processes/structures that are being redesigned
  • Understanding of how the early intervention community and stakeholders can participate in any feedback
  • Determining where there is alignment with work that is already taking place within the Council
  • Opportunities to support and collaborate a smooth transition process to the new department

5) Council Discussion: Key Questions and Alignment Opportunities

Ann Whalen, Chief Transition Design Officer of IDEC, introduced her presentation team for the day, Justin Walker from Chi by Design and Erin Arango Escalante from All Children Thrive.

Ann presented a high-level overview of the Birth Through 3 Design Sprint with emphasis on Process.

This initiative aims to redesign and integrate early childhood service for children birth to age 3 under IDEC moving beyond siloed program approached.

The approach involves creating a unified service experience taking into consideration the totality of families' and providers' lived experiences and looking beyond funding streams.

Prior System redesign efforts have often been siloed and fragmented, oftentimes jumping to resolving issues before truly understanding them. This redesign emphasizes:

  • This initiative aims to redesign and integrate early childhood service for children birth to age 3 under IDEC moving beyond siloed program approached.
  • The approach involves creating a unified service experience taking into consideration the totality of families' and providers' lived experiences and looking beyond funding streams.
  • Prior System redesign efforts have often been siloed and fragmented, oftentimes jumping to resolving issues before truly understanding them. This redesign emphasizes:
    • Understanding the current state and future vision before implementing changes.
    • Engaging a wide range of stakeholders, including those historically underserved communities.
    • Designing WITH, not for, families, caregivers, providers, and communities to develop policy and service innovations that connect all work streams across the state.
  • Immediate priorities include:
    • Childcare licensing process
    • Early Intervention services
    • Funding alignment
    • Technology Improvements
  • Current workstreams and planned engagement include:
    • Continue to collect and analyze existing data, recommendations, and business processes to better understand system challenges.
    • Data discovery and technology assessments are underway to reduce paperwork, improve integration, and identify pain points.
    • Development of an Early Childhood Integrated Data (EKID) system to capture comprehensive service data.
    • Engage family service workgroups and stakeholder groups for feedback.
    • Broader community engagement.
    • Produce actionable policy recommendations embedded within the larger strategic plan due December 2025

Justin Walker, Business Strategy and Design Operations Lead for ChiByDesign and the Lead for IDEC's Deep Dive Community Engagement 0-3 Sprint Project presented a brief history of ChiByDesign and the Co-design process.

The purpose of this Community Engagement piece of the 0-3 Sprint Project is to better understand systemic barriers to access of early intervention services affecting children birth-three in underserved communities using two Co-horts. The goals are to identify needs and access barriers, advance anti-racist policy solutions and infrastructures needed to succeed, and deliver actionable policy design recommendations to improve equity and service quality. Contributing to this work are Chibydesign founder, Chris Rudd, community parents/caregivers and stakeholders across the system.

  • Co-Hort 1: Three Chicago neighborhoods: West Garfield Park, South Austin, Auburn Gresham
  • Co-Hort 2: Five rural counties in Illinois, Henry, Peoria, Stark, Tazewell, and Woodford Counties. Criteria for selecting these counties include:
    • The percentage of persistent service delays and families waiting for services
    • Families involved in DCFS
    • Families enrolled in Medicaid
    • Percentage of children living under poverty levels
    • Zip codes with a greater share of children receiving services virtually
  • Approach involved
    • Anti-racist design primarily focused on:
      • Assumes racism is embedded in the problem addressed.
      • Multi-level interventions that enable anti-racist outcomes.
      • Changes the paradigm that creates racist experiences.
    • Systems thinking to analyze interconnected systemic causes of service access issues.
    • Co-design processes in which families, providers, and community stakeholders collaborate as partners to design interventions that they need and want, allows for:
      • Gain insights into the needs, wants, preferences of children and families.
      • Leverage creativity and expertise existing within various stakeholder groups
      • Increase stakeholder buy-in.
      • Determine gaps between key players within the system.
      • Develop stronger bonds. Building relationships is a key-factor.
    • Trauma-responsive design intentional 3-part approach:
      • Build awareness and understanding of trauma and its impact in individuals, communities, and systems
      • Make and hold safe space with tools for folks to be comfortable during engagement and avoid retraumatization
      • Design for healing, recovery, growth and empowerment
  • Planned activities include 25 interviews and four sequential workshops per Co-Hort to:
    • Identify challenges/barriers faced by families and providers.
    • Envision preferred future states.
    • Co-design policy recommendations.
    • Prototype infrastructures for sustaining changes.
  • Project Timeline:
    • Recruitment to begin soon.
    • Workshops to run approximately July through October 2025.
    • Full report due December 2025.
    • Continuous updates with the council and community are planned throughout the process.

Due to time restraints the ability to address all questions was limited at this time. Ann Whalen reiterated the significance of an inclusive process of all stakeholder communities and welcomes early intervention service expertise to the conversations. Ann encouraged all who are interested to reach out.

Ali opened the floor to comments and questions from Council Members. Discussion included:

  • The scope of the redesign is focused on all birth to 3 services across multiple systems.
  • Focus on community inclusion including families with complex needs, transient situations, and those least served by current system.
  • Opportunities for council members to participate in interviews, workshops, and provide feedback throughout all stages of the process.
  • Information to be shared regularly.
  • The importance of cross-system collaboration integrating resources and communications across childcare, early intervention, healthcare and transportation systems.
  • Safe ways for families and providers to share information anonymously and/or confidentially.
  • Process is expected to be iterative with multiple feedback loops. Some initial findings are anticipated by late summer with more comprehensive out-put by the end of the year.
  • Council and community engagement encouraged. Council members encouraged to engage broader community and provider participation. Ann Whalen and Benny will ensure ongoing communication to council regarding progress, timelines, and opportunities for input.
  • Transparency will be priorities to foster trust and shared ownership.

 Ali once again acknowledged that time will not allow for all comments/questions and encouraged the public to reach out directly to their Council representatives. The floor was opened for brief and concise public comments.

6) Public Comment Period Included:

Shameka Brown - Expressed appreciation for the information shared and asked if there would be ways for families/providers with pertinent information to share, but do not always feel there is a safe space to share them, be given to safely share their information/stories.

Ali expressed that this is an important point and for the Council to consider options for sharing information safely.

Amanda Albright - In reference to timelines, it was asked when can we expect proposed changes to be outlined by the Council? When will information be shared?

Ann stated that information will not be held back to be released all at one time. Pieces of information will be shared as it is available. IDEC will work with Benny/Ali to keep Early intervention informed.

7) Adjournment

 Meredith motioned to adjourn. Carol seconded. Motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 4:03 pm

Contact Information

Katie Jacobs

IDHS - Bureau of Early Intervention

823 East Monroe Street

Springfield, IL 62701

Ph: 217/299-7158

Email: Katie.Jacobs@Illinois.gov

If you are in need of special accommodations, please email or call Katie Jacobs.