Illinois Administrative Code › Title 23 - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL RESOURCES › Part 235 - EARLY CHILDHOOD BLOCK GRANT › Subpart D - EXCLUSIONARY DISCIPLINE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS › Appendix B - Illinois Birth to Five Program Standards

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
The Illinois Birth to Five Program Standards are broad
				  statements that reflect current knowledge, research findings and shared beliefs
				  about high-quality, developmentally appropriate early childhood care and
				  education in the context of programs for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and
				  their families.
Program Goal I: Organization
Standards:
All birth to five programs must have a mission,
				  vision or purpose statement based on shared beliefs and goals.
Scheduling practices and intensity of services are
				  tailored to the goals of the program and to the individual strengths and needs
				  of children birth to five and their families.
The strengths and needs of the children and
				  families, as well as research on best practice, determine the ratio of
				  participants to staff and the size of program groups.
The program meets the needs of children and
				  families of varying abilities, as well as diverse cultural, linguistic, and
				  economic backgrounds.
The physical environment of the program is safe,
				  healthy, and appropriate for children's development and family
				  involvement.
The administration promotes and practices informed
				  leadership and supervision.
The administration participates in and encourages
				  ongoing staff development, training, and supervision.
All birth to five programs must follow mandated
				  reporting laws for child abuse and neglect and have a written policy statement
				  addressing staff responsibilities and procedures regarding
				  implementation.
The program budget is developed to support quality
				  program service delivery.
The program implements effective systems for
				  recording and managing information about the program, its staff, its
				  participants, and learning and developmental outcomes and uses this information
				  to engage in continuous improvement.
Program Goal II: Curriculum and Service Provision
Standards:
The curriculum reflects the centrality of
				  adult/child interactions in the development of infants, toddlers and
				  preschoolers.
The curriculum is aligned to the Illinois Early
				  Learning and Development Standards for preschoolers and supports children's
				  cognitive, language, social, emotional and physical development and the
				  development of positive approaches to learning.
The program prioritizes family involvement while
				  respecting individual parental choices.
The program supports and demonstrates respect for
				  the families' unique abilities, as well as for their ethnic, cultural, and
				  linguistic diversity.
The program promotes a framework that is
				  nurturing, predictable, and consistent, yet flexible.
The program supports children's healthy physical
				  development.
Program Goal III: Developmental Monitoring and Program
				  Accountability
Standards:
The program staff regularly conducts a
				  developmental screening with an appropriate standardized tool for the purposes
				  of identifying children with developmental delays or disabilities.
The program incorporates appropriate formative
				  assessments of children, which are aligned with the curriculum, for the
				  purposes of monitoring individual child development and individualization of
				  the program and/or curriculum.
Leadership conducts regular and systematic
				  evaluation of the program and staff to assure that the philosophy is reflected
				  and goals of the program are being fulfilled.
Program Goal IV: Personnel
Standards:
The program leadership is knowledgeable about
				  child development and best practice for quality birth to five programs.
The program leadership is effective in explaining,
				  organizing, implementing, supervising, and evaluating birth to five
				  programs.
The program leadership hires qualified staff who
				  are competent in working with infants, toddlers and preschoolers and their
				  families.
The program leadership provides ongoing
				  supervision that promotes staff development and enhances quality service
				  delivery.
The program leadership provides opportunities for
				  ongoing professional growth and development.
The program leadership promotes continuity in
				  staffing through provision of a supportive work environment, competitive wages
				  and benefits, and opportunities for advancement.
The program leadership and staff are knowledgeable
				  about programs and agencies in the community that provide services for children
				  and their families.
Program Goal V: Family and Community Partnerships
Standards:
The child is viewed in the context of the family
				  and the family is viewed in the context of its culture and community.
The program leadership and staff seek and
				  facilitate family participation and partnerships.
The program assures that families have access to
				  comprehensive services.
The program develops a partnership with families
				  in which the family members and staff determine goals and services.
The program takes an active role in community and
				  system planning and establishes ongoing collaborative relationships with other
				  institutions and organizations that serve families.