Earn More Money for Licensed Programs
Resources and opportunities connected to early childhood education and training, enhancing skills, and growing a successful business
Child Care & Early Learning - Helen Miller SEIU Member Education & Training Center (METC)
METC offers training courses for licensed and license-exempt child care providers. They offer three paths. Path A is for license-exempt programs; Path B is for license-exempt programs who are seeking DCFS licensure; and Path C is for providers who are already DCFS licensed, seeking growth. The courses are Gateways registry approved and are free for providers who accept CCAP. For many classes at METC, you can receive a stipend for your time and participation.
ExceleRate
ExceleRate Illinois is available for child care homes and centers licensed through DCFS. ExeceleRate is a quality recognition and improvement system that gives a process for pursuing quality efforts that will help the provider learn more, do better, and improve developmental skills among the children being cared for. ExceleRate helps to accelerate excellence in early learning and development in Illinois. Providers can earn bronze, silver, or gold standards depending on how their program is rated based on quality standards.
https://www.excelerateillinois.com
https://courses.inccrra.org/course/index.php?categoryid=25
Great START Wage Supplement Program
Great START (Strategy to Attract and Retain Teachers) is a wage supplement program that acknowledges child care practitioners who have completed college coursework and stay at their current place of employment. Great START recipients are sent a check every six months (based on continued eligibility) to supplement their income.
https://www.ilgateways.com/financial-opportunities/great-start
Smart Start Workforce Grants
Smart Start Workforce Grants offer child care programs stable, ongoing funds that they need to invest in quality staff without burdening families by raising tuition or Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) co-pays. Eligible programs receive consistent funding in advance, and funds will cover the cost of higher wages and operating a classroom. Programs receiving these grants will be required to pay classroom staff a wage floor. These competitive wages will help to attract more staff and meet parents' needs at a rate that they can afford.
https://salccc.org/provider-services/smart-start-workforce-grants
Higher Education Navigation
SAL Child Care Connection offers access to a higher education and workforce development navigator. The higher education and workforce development navigator can help individuals access supports in order to begin or further their education in early childhood education. There is financial assistance available for eligible home providers, teachers, assistants, directors, and others to cover all tuition and fees and for other potential expenses, such as books, transportation, and child care at many of Illinois' colleges and universities.
https://salccc.org/provider-services/professional-development-opportunities
Quality Specialists
SAL Child Care Connection offers access and help from a quality team, including a quality specialist. The quality specialist offers free services to child care providers to assist with enhancing the quality of the environment, development, and learning experienced by the children. The services are tailored to meet the program's specific needs and goals. The quality specialist assists with applying for grants for licensed providers, including Quality Improvement Funds, ExceleRate, Individual Professional Development Funds, and Smart Start Workforce Grants.
https://www.salccc.org/provider-services/working-specialist
Sign up for a one-on-one consultation or training for becoming a licensed child care provider.
Contact Dawn Wiles, Recruitment & Retention Coordinator, at dwiles@salccc.org