Your Go-to Resource for Early Learning Programs
The Collaboration’s Early Childhood Resource Directory is a comprehensive guide to child care and early learning programs in Oak Park, River Forest, and Forest Park.
Support Kindergarten Readiness for all Children
Since its beginnings in 2002, the Collaboration has embraced the vision that all children should arrive at kindergarten safe, healthy, ready to succeed and eager to learn.
Discover Our Parent Resources
The Collaboration has compiled a collection of resources to help parents be their child’s first and most important teacher. From health and safety to development milestones, take a look at a variety of information organized by category.
Supporting a Strong Start for Our Children
The Collaboration for Early Childhood champions high-quality early care and education in Oak Park and River Forest. By supporting the crucial first five years of a child’s life, we ensure that everyone arrives at kindergarten ready to thrive. We support the children in our community through: Family Engagement, Health and Development, Early Learning, and Community Engagement.
Learn More About Our Program Service Areas
Early Learning
Health & Development
Family Engagement
Community Engagement
Our Program Services Model
This graphic outlines our program service areas and the work that the Collaboration seeks to accomplish in Oak Park and River Forest. The outer red band depicts the work that is infused into all aspects of the Collaboration. Click on any link within the model to take you to that page to learn more.
Family Engagement refers to the work that the Collaboration does to empower families to be effective leaders and decision-makers in the education of their children. Our family engagement work builds the capacity of local organizations and parents to lead these efforts.
Health and Development refer to the efforts of the Collaboration to view child success as influenced by indicators of good health and the extent to which a child is supported by the health services community. The Health and Development arm of the Collaboration works to ensure that all children birth to five receive periodic developmental screenings and that all children who need assessment and services access them.
Early Learning refers to the Collaboration’s work to influence the success of the preschool classroom experience in areas of teacher quality, classroom experience and teacher training with an equity lens. The Early Learning program service area also focuses on smoothing the transition from preschool to kindergarten for our community’s children.
Community Engagement refers to the Collaboration’s efforts to engage the entire community in the success of our children, leveraging our partners and other agencies to support children and families on their journeys to Kindergarten. The Community Engagement arm of the Collaboration includes public events and awareness building efforts.
