Early Learning Council, Illinois
Board and Commission Details
Website
Function
This council is created to coordinate existing programs and services for children from birth to 5 years of age in order to better meet the early learning needs of children and their families.
Term
3 years.
Senate Confirmation
No
Compensation
Expenses
Composition
The Illinois Early Learning Council shall include representation from both public and private organizations, and its membership shall reflect regional, racial, and cultural diversity to ensure representation of the needs of all Illinois children. One member shall be appointed by the President of the Senate, one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, one member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and other members appointed by the Governor. The Governor's appointments shall include without limitation the following: (1) A leader of stature from the Governor's office, to serve as co-chairperson of the Council. (2) The chief administrators of the following State agencies: State Board of Education; Department of Human Services; Department of Children and Family Services; Department of Public Health; Department of Healthcare and Family Services; Board of Higher Education; and Illinois Community College Board. (3) Local government stakeholders and non-government stakeholders with an interest in early childhood care and education, including representation from the following private-sector fields and constituencies: early childhood education and development; child care; child advocacy; parenting support; local community collaborations among early care and education programs and services; maternal and child health; children with special needs; business; labor; and law enforcement. The Governor shall designate one of the members who is a nongovernment stakeholder to serve as co-chairperson. In addition, the Governor shall request that the Region V office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families appoint a member to the Council to represent federal children's programs and services.
Chair
Appointed by the Governor - one member who is a non-government stakeholder and the member from the Governor’s office shall be a co-chair
Authority
20 ILCS 3933/5
Member Names
| Name | Member Expiration | Member Since | Affiliation | Appointed By | Position | Title | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janney, April | 01/01/2025 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | Illinois Action for Children | ||
| Eggleston, Carl | Region V office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families | Region V office of the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services' Administration for Children and Families | |||||
| Mannen, Cathy | 01/01/2026 | 07/13/2021 | Governor | Member | Illinois Federation of Teachers | Douglas | |
| Kimble, Ruth | 01/01/2025 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | Austin Child Care | ||
| Howell, Eugene | 01/01/2025 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | Head Start/EHS Provider | ||
| Steans, Robin | 01/01/2025 | 04/04/2022 | Governor | Member | Advance Illinois, Child Advocacy | ||
| Rooney, Patricia | 01/01/2026 | 06/16/2021 | Governor | Member | IDHS | Will | |
| McFarlane, Tameeka | 01/01/2024 | 07/13/2021 | Governor | Member | Pre-K Teacher Evanston SD 65 | ||
| Lifson, Mitchell | 01/01/2025 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | Child Advocacy | ||
| Hatcher, Courtney | 01/01/2025 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | Project Child-CCR&R | ||
| Brown, Marcus | 01/01/2026 | 06/14/2021 | Governor | Member | ICCB | Macon | |
| Kotowski, Dan | 01/01/2025 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | Kids Above All | ||
| Hernandez Jr, Sergio | 01/01/2025 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | ISBE | ||
| Glink, Phyllis | 01/01/2025 | 11/30/2012 | Governor | Member, Co-Chair | Irving Harris Foundation | ||
| Rocha, Martina | 01/01/2023 | 06/16/2021 | Governor | Member | Best Friends Day Care (FFN) | ||
| Jor'dan, Jamilah | 01/01/2025 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | GOECD | ||
| Noble, Sean | 01/01/2025 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | Business community | ||
| Bowman, Barbara | 01/01/2024 | 10/07/2011 | Governor | Member | Higher Ed Workforce | ||
| Souto-Manning, Mariana | 01/01/2025 | 07/11/2022 | Governor | Member | President Erikson Institute | ||
| Chadwick, Christi | 01/01/2026 | 10/07/2022 | Governor | Member | IBHE | ||
| Mote, Bela | 01/01/2026 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | Carole Robertson Center | Cook | |
| Torres, Martin | 01/01/2025 | 12/13/2021 | Governor | Member, Co-Chair | Governor's Office Representative | ||
| Bassler, Elissa | 01/01/2025 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | Illinois Public Health Institute | ||
| Hodges, Vicki | 01/01/2024 | 06/24/2021 | Governor | Member | ISBE Mckinney-Vento Homeless Education | ||
| McRae, Kenya | 01/01/2025 | 06/14/2021 | Governor | Member | IDPH | ||
| Ejeh, Shauna | 01/01/2025 | 08/12/2016 | Governor | Member | Illinois Action for Children | ||
| Vacant | 01/01/2024 | Governor | Member | ||||
| Monnier, Denise | 01/01/2023 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | Montessori Association | ||
| Talan, Teri | 01/01/2023 | 06/07/2021 | Governor | Member | |||
| Mendenhall, Marcy | 01/01/2026 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | CCRR-SAL Family & Community Services | Rock Island | |
| Regenstein, Elliot | 01/01/2023 | 11/07/2011 | Governor | Member | |||
| Bailey, Chevelle | 01/01/2024 | 06/22/2021 | Governor | Member | IL DCFS | ||
| Thomas, Dawn | 01/01/2025 | 06/03/2021 | Governor | Member | Data & Research | ||
| Chernawsky, Kirsten | 01/01/2025 | 04/04/2022 | Governor | Member | |||
| Berman, Karen | 01/01/2024 | 10/12/2012 | Governor | Member | Child Advocacy | ||
| Puente, Sylvia | 01/01/2023 | 10/07/2011 | Governor | Member | Child Advocacy-Latino Policy Forum | ||
| Cerda, Jose | 01/01/2023 | 01/11/2015 | Governor | Member | Business | ||
| Reick, Steven | 03/30/2021 | House Minority Leader | Member | State Representative | |||
| Su, Joanna | 01/01/2026 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | DHS Home Visiting | Kane | |
| Lilly, Camille | 06/21/2021 | Speaker of the House | Member | State Representative | |||
| Peace, Curtis | 01/01/2023 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | Illinois Afterschool Network/Build Chicago | ||
| Loughran Cappel, Sen. Meg | 01/08/2025 | 08/31/2023 | Senate President | Member | State Senator | ||
| Golliday, Rochelle | 01/01/2024 | 06/04/2021 | Governor | Member | For-profit Child Care | ||
| Yanguas, Josie | 01/01/2024 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | Bilingual/Dual language learners | ||
| Bardeleben, Lucinda | 01/01/2024 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | Parenting Support | ||
| Slaughter, Sara | 01/01/2023 | 06/09/2021 | Governor | Member | |||
| Gonzalez, Rey | 01/01/2024 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | El Valor Center based Child Care | ||
| McKinily, Leslie | 01/01/2024 | 07/15/2022 | Governor | Member | |||
| Bernoteit, Stephanie | 01/01/2024 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | IBHE | ||
| Burnett, Cerathel | 01/01/2023 | 06/16/2021 | Governor | Member | CDFSS | ||
| Williams, Wendy | 01/01/2024 | 05/12/2022 | Governor | Member | Director of Head Start Collaboration | ||
| Chapman, Dena | 01/01/2024 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | FAC Co-Chair | ||
| Doan, Kristina | 01/01/2025 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | ISBE | ||
| Tracy, Jil | 04/14/2021 | Senate Minority Leader | Member | State Senator | |||
| Phelan, Laura | 01/01/2023 | 08/10/2021 | Governor | Member | IDHFS | ||
| Morrison-Fritchtl, Lauri | 01/01/2025 | 06/07/2021 | Governor | Member | IL Head Start Association | ||
| Borrero, John | 01/01/2024 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | Community Collaborations | ||
| Espeut, Loretta | 01/01/2024 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | Parenting Support-Family Focus | ||
| Harris, Daniel | 01/01/2025 | 10/16/2012 | Governor | Member | INCCRRA | ||
| Helfer, Jason | 01/01/2024 | 07/11/2022 | Governor | Member | ISBE | ||
| Washington Gurley, Edie | 01/01/2024 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | IDCFS Licensing | ||
| Hurley, Carisa | 01/01/2024 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | ISBE | ||
| Leatherman, Stacee | 01/01/2024 | 06/02/2021 | Governor | Member | Parent Leader, FAC Co-chair | ||
| Stokes II, Bryan | 01/01/2026 | 06/04/2021 | Governor | Member | McCormick Foundation | Cook | |
| Seibert, Brynn | 01/01/2023 | 06/16/2021 | Governor | Member | SEIU HI | ||
| Shah, Ushma | 01/01/2024 | 06/04/2021 | Governor | Member | Superintendet Oak Park | ||
| Mendley Rauner, Diana | 01/01/2025 | 10/07/2011 | Governor | Member | Start Early | ||
| Williams, Yolanda | 01/01/2023 | 07/07/2021 | Governor | Member | Parent Leader-COFI | ||
| Engelman, Kimberly | 01/01/2023 | 07/13/2021 | Governor | Member | Labor | ||
| Patten, Bethany | 01/01/2026 | 08/18/2023 | Governor | Member | IDHS DEC | Cook |