Announcing the Launch of Every Child Ready Chicago’s Strategic Framework

Our Strategic Areas 

Enhance funding equity and local systems governance 

• Create a revised cost model for Chicago that accurately reflects the true cost of delivering high-quality programs and services to families, as well as ensuring favorable working conditions for early childhood providers to inform more equitable funding allocation and assist in planning for the sustainability and growth of the workforce pipeline
• Map the financial resource flow at the city level and create strategic recommendations for the City to improve funding transparency for the community
• Research local early childhood system governance models and identify implications for Chicago

 Increase access to early childhood systems data

• Expand data literacy training, resources and related tools to educate families, system leaders and communities on the early childhood data ecosystem
• Establish standardized data collection and reporting norms, encompassing indicators, terms, metrics and equity considerations, to unify reporting on the city’s children across sectors

Strengthen state-city collaboration and alignment

• Collaborate with designated State Agencies to establish bidirectional sharing of information and updates with the ECRC network
• Generate recommendations for City and State systems enhancement and alignment

Bolster family and community engagement 

• Identify engagement strategies to effectively center and elevate family and community voice within ECRC
• Build bridges with parent and community groups to ensure ongoing bidirectional communication and partnership for shared decision-making

Advance quality early childhood training and tools 

• Establish a repository of up-to-date resources and information for providers in key areas to better serve families
• Create a training series for families on early childhood system topics that are tailored to their needs
• Produce tools, trainings and events to educate community members and leaders about the early childhood ecosystem

View the full ECRC Strategic Framework in English and Spanish at the ECRC website to see more details about our 3 year action plan. We invite you to learn more about our Work Groups and plans to implement the Framework at the ECRC Advisory Committee, share your interest in participating and ask any questions you may have by reaching out to: ecrc@cityofchicago.org.