A weekly communication source for keeping you updated on the latest local/state/federal HS/EHS information |
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WARMING UP WITH SOME HOT COCOA AT IT TAKES A VILLAGE HEAD START |
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At It Takes a Village Family of Schools in Chicago, part of the curriculum features a food experience which allows even the youngest of learners the opportunity to understand how their favorite treats are made! |
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FY 2026 APPROPRIATIONS BILL: Update |
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The Senate Appropriations Committee released a draft of the FY 26 appropriations bill. While we would have liked to see bigger investments in early childhood, we are grateful for small increases in an environment with deep cuts and elimination of other programs. This draft represents a bipartisan compromise, meaning it has a good chance of passing Congress and avoiding a government shutdown that impacts Head Start. The funding levels for Head Start and related HHS programs are as follows: -
$12.4 Billion for Head Start, an increase of $85 million above the 2025 level:
- $75M for Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA),
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$10M for the Tribal Colleges and Universities Head Start Partnership Program,
- Up to $8M for the Marshall Islands and Micronesia,
- $21M for research, evaluation, and Federal administrative costs, which is the same as the FY2025 level.
$810 Million for the Community Services Block Grant, an increase of $6 million,
$8.8 Billion for the discretionary portion of the Child Care and Development Block Grant, an increase of $85M above the 2025 level, $315 Million for Preschool Development Grants, $4 Billion for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), - $0 for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting(CPB), National Public Radio (NPR), or Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
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HHS FUNDING FREEZE: 14 Day Temporary Reprieve Ends Friday |
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The Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) that provides relief to the 5 states impacted by the childcare funding freeze (NY, CA, MN, IL, CO) expires this Friday, January 23 .
The judge is expected to hold a hearing on the plaintiffs motion for a preliminary injunction. If granted, the preliminary injunction would prevent HHS from implementing the freeze or requiring atypical spending justifications in these five states while the litigation is underway. HHS has provided no evidence of fraud in these states, and the reaction from the Administration and Congress appears to be driven by a viral video on social media.
Approximately 100,000 Illinois children would lose access to child care assistance if the administration’s freeze goes through, and approximately 1,000 providers including HS/EHS will not be reimbursed for services they have provided. |
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ICYMI: HEAD START LITIGATION UPDATE WEBINAR - What the New Federal Ruling Means for DEI and Workforce Cuts |
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Last week, Together for Head Start hosted a webinar featuring ACLU attorneys and two plaintiff organization leaders (including our own IHSA's Lauri Morrison-Frichtl) to discuss what the recent preliminary injunction means for Head Start programs. |
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TELL YOUR SENATORS & REPRESENTATIVES: Protect Child Care Funding & Promised Investment! |
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With the January 30th Congressional funding deadline approaching, your Senators and Representative are making final decisions on funding. Federal child care funding streams like Head Start and the Child Care & Development Block Grant help working families afford care while parents work. But right now, Congress has two issues to address for the child care system: deciding the amount of the next round of funding AND ensuring the timely delivery of approved funds. Your voice matters on both. |
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HUDDLE with IHSA: Wednesday, January 21 at 4:00PM |
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Join IHSA Executive Director Lauri Morrison-Frichtl and your Illinois Head Start community for a weekly 30-minute check-in. This space is for everyone and anyone to ask questions and to learn the latest on what's going on. See you this afternoon! |
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48th ANNUAL IHSA CONFERENCE |
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HEAD START - The Power of Us: Connecting Hearts. Creating Change. Cultivating Futures. |
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This conference is designed for everyone connected to Head Start and Early Head Start, as well as those interested in the broader field of early childhood education, such as: - Directors & Program Leaders,
- Teachers & Classroom staff,
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Family Service, Health & Mental Health Professionals,
- Home Visitors & Education Coaches,
- Fiscal, HR, & Operations staff,
- Policy Council members & Parents,
- Community and State partners,
- Higher Education Faculty & Early Childhood Advocates.
Why Attend? - Learn: Hear from experts & peers on what's working right now in HS/EHS
- Connect: Build relationships with colleagues from across Illinois, Recharge: Leave with new ideas, renewed energy, and tools to take back to your program,
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Explore: Visit the exhibitor showcase for resources, products, and professional connections,
- Celebrate: Recognize outstanding leaders and programs that make Head Start strong.
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March 17 (T) to 19 (R) East Peoria, IL |
Attend on your own or gather a group from your program & make it a road trip! |
Don't forget to book your rooms! by Feb 23 for group rates. |
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2025-2026 IHSA AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIP NOMINATIONS IS OPEN! |
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Take a moment to nominate yourself, or each other, to be the next Head Start Super Star! We're looking for amazing Administrators, Teachers, Support Staff, and Parents to recognize and celebrate. We also want to support you in your continuing education with two scholarships!
All six winners will receive a scholarship to attend the 2025-2026 Illinois Head Start Annual Conference Awards & Scholarship Recognition Luncheon on March 18, where they will be recognized. Anyone can nominate anyone, or themselves, who is eligible within the Head Start community. Good luck! |
| Deadline February 6. Start nominating! |
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PREVENTING FROSTBITE: How to Cope with the Extreme Cold of Chicago & Illinois' Winters |
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When winter temperatures drop below zero, frostbite can occur in minutes, especially on fingers, toes, ears and exposed skin. Learn how to protect yourself in extreme cold, recognize early signs of frostbite and understand when you should seek urgent care or emergency treatment. |
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INDIVIDUALIZED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES |
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IHSA offers tailored and individualized professional development services for your Head Start/Early Head Start program. Work together with our Director of Learning, Cathy Welsh, to develop a topic that is relevant to your programs' needs, choose in-person session or virtual training, and decide on a date.
IHSA also has a library of professional development trainings available in-person, on-site or virtual. Each will be featured in future weekly Scoops. |
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BELONGING: Making Equity, Inclusion & Diversity the Forefront of your Head Start Agency's Culture
This training refers to a crucial federal initiative for Head Start programs, emphasizing creating welcoming environments by embedding Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB) into policies, practices, and staff training, addressing systemic inequities, boosting staff morale, and enhancing family engagement.
In this two-hour session, participants will: - Learn about the four components of DEI,
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Explore further these four important components that ensure equity, inclusion and diversity which are the forefront of your workforce culture.
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NEXT Quality Enrichment Circle (QEC): Tuesday, Jan 27 at 10AM-Noon. |
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Component - Family Services/ERSEA Advocates & Workers QEC is designed so new participants can join at any point. Choose your component but have access to all! |
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QUESTION: What does TANF stand for?
How to play: Respond to this Scoop with your answer! (or email lwang@ilheadstart.org). If correct, you'll be put in a raffle for a prize! Winner and answer will be announced in the next Scoop. Last week's Q&A
Question: Using the data from assessments, what are Head Start teachers able to do for their Head Start students? Answers: Provide Individualized Instruction.
Winner: Christine Cain, Program Education Manager at Two Rivers Head Start in Aurora! Look out in the mail for your prize from our friends at The Discovery Source! |
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What's going on at your Head Start Program? Share your recent center activities, congressional visits, field trip adventures, staff spotlights, exciting news, and more!
Let's build community by sharing what's going on IN our community! |
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