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Every Child Ready Chicago

Ensuring Our Youngest Learners, From Before Birth to Age 5, Can Thrive

Every Child Ready Chicago (ECRC) is a public-private partnership led by the Mayor’s Office in partnership with Start Early (formerly known as the Ounce of Prevention Fund) working to ensure all children in Chicago enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school and life. The multi-year, collective effort will work to align the prenatal-to-five systems and supports serving Chicago children and families under a unified vision and build the early childhood systems infrastructure needed for thousands more children to enter kindergarten ready to learn.

Chicago has a strong history of investing in early learning opportunities that begin at birth and are delivered in both school and community-based settings. The initiative will build on this strong foundation to set forth — and achieve — a vision of a coherent prenatal-to-five system that provides equitable access to supports and services that ensure the highest outcomes for our city’s youngest learners.

Children reading a book

Daycare worker playing with baby

ECRC launched in fall of 2020 by bringing together leaders from early childhood programs and services, the research and advocacy communities, parents and families of young children, and city agencies to create a shared vision of success for the city’s system for its young children and their families. This Early Childhood Working Group will guide the City and inform the development and implementation of a plan to create a strong, equitable early childhood system with positive outcomes for all children

Every Child Ready Chicago
Executive Committee 2023–2024

  • CPS - Early Childhood - Leslie McKinily
  • CPS, ODLSS - Dr. Carrie Comer
  • CDPH - Madeline Shea
  • DFSS - Cerathel Burgess Burnett
  • Birth to Five - Edna Navarro Vidaurre
  • Early Childhood CBOs
    • Rey Gonzalez - El Valor
    • Seth J. Rich - Metropolitan Family Services
  • Home Based Child Care Provider - Ruth Kimble
  • Center Based Child Care Provider
    • Anita Andrews-Hutchinson - It Takes A Village Family of Schools

  • Early Intervention /IDEA Part C
    • Roberta Hansen - IL DHS Early Intervention-Child & Family Connections #11
  • Home Visiting - LaTanya Gray - Primo Center
  • Funder / Philanthropic Partners
    • Carmen Garcia - Irving Harris Foundation
    • Liliana Velazquez - Vivo Foundation
  • Advocates
    • Rosario Hernandez - Latino Policy Forum
    • Talibah Moore - Cofi
  • Parents
    • Lisa Radcliffe
    • Mykela Collins

ECRC Working Group Meeting Schedule

Shared Learning Journeys

ECRC is made possible by founding gifts from:

Sponsors