Research in Child Care and Early Learning

Exploring the child care and early childhood education learning experiences of Illinois’ families and care providers.

Uncovering Illinois Providers’ and Families’ Experiences

For the last several decades, researchers at Illinois Action for Children have elevated the experiences and voices of caregivers and early childhood providers in Illinois.

By pioneering the use of research tools, we’ve directly contributed to new understandings in the child care and education field — on the impact of COVID; family, friend and neighbor (FFN) child care; and systemic bias and inequities — while driving policy change at the state level.

A child care provider talking at a table with two children

1000s of provider and family voices included in our research — and counting.

Give Your Voice to Early Education Research

Are you a child care provider, parent, or caregiver in Illinois? Share your experiences with us to strengthen the quality of our data and insights – and positively impact young children and families.

Illinois Parent Survey

IAFC is looking for dedicated parents like you to join our Illinois Parent Survey Panel.

Provider Survey

Coming Soon

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Research Impact

Exploring the Impact of Systemic Bias and Inequity

We have broken down the impacts of Illinois early learning programs and policy by race and ethnicity, region, and ages of children involved, identifying the impact of systemic bias on young children and families in Illinois.

Read our Child Care Equity Study

Exposed how a methodology used to name priority communities for Illinois preschool investment excluded from consideration 49% of African Americans in suburban Cook County.

Showed how new Illinois training requirements in the Illinois CCAP discouraged many FFN providers and many children participating, particularly Black children.

Drove community organizers to go door-to-door and identify hundreds of pre-K eligible four-year olds who were not attending Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Pre-K.

Featured Report

2023 Report on Child Care in Cook County

Our annual report examines the state of child care for the year ending June 2022.

In particular, we look at the effect of the pandemic on child care slots within Cook County regions, the affordability of care, and trends related to some of the hardest-to-find care – including infant care and care during non-traditional hours.

View the Report

A mother and her child reading a book together and smiling

Research Impact

Researching Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) Child Care in Illinois

Outside of parents, the FFN network — family, friends, and neighbors — provide the most care for children in the U.S.

FFN care is especially critical to parents who work early mornings, evenings, overnight or weekends — when most licensed child care programs do not operate — as well as families who do not speak English or who have other special care needs.

Our research has worked to understand and highlight the contributions and challenges of FFN child care and its contribution in Illinois.

Read our Latest FFN Report

Connect with the Research Team

For more information, email:

research@actforchildren.org
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