Chapin Hall

Aligning Systems to Improve Early Care and Education Access for Children Involved with Child Welfare

High-quality early care and education (ECE) programs support young children’s development and provide stability for their families. Yet many children involved with the child welfare system in Illinois are not enrolled in an ECE program. As the state moves early childhood programs under the new Illinois Department of Early Childhood, we have an opportunity to increase access to high-quality ECE programs among this population.

The federal Children’s Bureau funded the Illinois Early Learning Access Project (ELAP), a multi-year research–practice partnership to (1) improve coordination and communication between child welfare and ECE systems; (2) increase the number of children with child welfare system involvement who enroll in high-quality ECE programs; and (3) develop a plan to institutionalize and scale up policy and practice changes throughout the state. Project partners include Chapin Hall, Start Early, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Brightpoint, and East Side Aligned.

What We Did

Between September 2023 and January 2026, the ELAP team conducted 18 key informant interviews with ECE, child welfare, and school system leaders, and completed a broad policy scan of state and federal policies affecting access to ECE programs. The team also facilitated a Human-Centered Design process with caregivers, child welfare professionals, and ECE providers in Chicago and East St. Louis. Together, these activities centered the insights of practitioners and individuals with lived experience to identify barriers to enrollment in ECE programs and codesign potential solutions that could be tested locally and considered for broader implementation.

What We Found

• Many caregivers struggle to find programs that fit their needs, especially full-day and full-year programs, programs that serve children during nontraditional hours, and programs that are located within their communities.
• Many programs are not adequately resourced to serve children with disabilities, trauma histories, or behavioral problems, or children whose families speak languages other than English.
• Complex and fragmented eligibility rules for ECE programs and subsidies create confusion for caregivers, ECE providers, and caseworkers.
• Misalignment and inconsistent implementation of policies across agencies delay enrollment and disrupt continuity of care.
• Limited formal structures for cross-system collaboration and information-sharing hinder coordination between early childhood and child welfare systems.
• Gaps in data collection and reporting make it difficult to understand ECE enrollment patterns among children involved with the child welfare system.

What It Means

These findings show that improving ECE access for children involved with the child welfare system requires more than simply increasing the number of program slots. It also requires systems that work together effectively. Illinois has an opportunity to reduce complexity, align policies, and strengthen coordination across early childhood and child welfare systems. Investments in shared infrastructure, inclusive program design, and better data can help ensure young children involved with the child welfare system are able to access and benefit from high-quality early learning environments.

Learn more about the project that produced this brief: Enrolling More Illinois Child Welfare System-Involved Children in Early Care and Education.

Read the brief