COMMITTEE PASSES HARMON BILL TO CREATE ILLINOIS EARLY LEARNING COUNCIL 

Oak Park Senator’s first bill - inspired by Oak Park Early Childhood Collaboration

SPRINGFIELD, IL – With early childhood education as one of his top priorities, State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) today negotiated through a Senate committee the passage of Senate Bill 565, a measure to create the Illinois Early Learning Council. 

The bill, which won approval from the Senate Executive Committee, is a group effort between Harmon, Voices for Illinois Children, Day Care Action Council of Illinois, and Ounce of Prevention, which are part of the Early Learning Illinois Campaign, and other major child advocacy groups, and was inspired by the Collaboration for Early Childhood Care and Education in Harmon’s district.

“This Council will help us streamline and coordinate existing State, Federal and private-sector programs and services to help Illinois better meet the needs of our children,” explained Harmon.  “The Collaboration for Early Childhood Care and Education is a great example of how this can be done, and I look forward to implementing this program state-wide” 

“Creating the Illinois Early Education Council is one step towards fulfilling the vision of a comprehensive, statewide, early learning system for children birth to age 5 to ensure that all children are safe, healthy, eager to learn and ready to succeed by the time they enter school,” said Jerry Stermer, President of Voices for Illinois Children in committee.  “Instead of creating a new bureaucracy, the Council will coordinate and collaborate existing programs and services.” 

Carolyn Newberry-Schwartz and Eric Gershenson of the Collaboration for Early Childhood Care and Education, expressed great excitement and appreciation to Senator Harmon for his sponsorship of the bill. 

“This leadership initiative at the State level will give substantial impetus to local community collaborations to work to achieve the critical goal of high-quality care and education for all children,” added Gershenson. “This is a goal that cannot be achieved by any single jurisdiction but only by the active cooperation and participation of all the disparate stakeholders.”

Under the bill, the members of the Council will be appointed by the four leaders of the General Assembly, the Governor and will include representatives and experts from state agencies and the private sector.  The Council members would be appointed to reflect regional, racial, and cultural diversity, and serve on a voluntary and uncompensated basis.  The Council would be responsible for reporting to the Governor and General Assembly annually on its progress towards its goals and objectives.

Harmon plans to call the bill for Senate consideration within the next two weeks.

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