ExceleRate Illinois - Providers

General

Resources to help directors, teachers, and family child care providers prepare for their ExceleRate Illinois on-site assessment. It is important to read the Additional & Updated Notes for Clarification from the Scale authors. All updated notes are available at: https://www.ersi.info/additionalnotes

ExceleRate Illinois supports and recognizes continuous quality improvement in early care and education programs. Incentives are offered toward achieving an ExceleRate Illinois Circle of Quality, and others are available once a Circle of Quality has been awarded. With these incentives, Illinois is helping to ensure that all children in your care are prepared for school and life.

Illinois Head Start (only) and Early Head Start (only) early care and education programs can participate in ExceleRate Illinois.

Illinois Head Start and Early Head Start early care and education programs that pursue a Circle of Quality, above the Licensed Circle of Quality, must meet all domain requirements specific to the Circle of Quality for which they are applying.

To apply via the Head Start path:

  • All classrooms must be Head Start-funded and operated in accordance with E/HS Performance Standards for the full program day.
  • The grantee must be in good standing, as evidenced by its current federal monitoring results, and not subject to DRS.
  • Available for both community-based and school-based sites. Licensed sites must be in compliance with ExceleRate IDCFS Licensing Requirements.

*This initiative is not available for delegate agencies or partner sites of Head Start grantees.

Silver Circle of Quality Head Start Application

Gold Circle of Quality Head Start Application

Eligibility and Enrollment Process

Head Start grantees may enroll their directly-operated sites in ExceleRate Illinois at the Silver Circle of Quality with the Head Start Enrollment Application. Grantees may also request additional site-level assessment for the Gold Circle of Quality by checking the appropriate box on the enrollment form. Grantees must provide their current federal monitoring results which verify compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards, and complete certifications to confirm program model, classrooms, enrollment, oversight, and other administrative requirements. Licensed, school-based, and other legally license-exempt Head Start sites are eligible for this initiative, provided all classrooms are Head Start-funded.  

At application, licensed sites must be IDCFS-licensed for a minimum of one (1) full year, with no pending or substantiated licensing violations within the last 12 months. Sites should work with their licensing representative to clear any violations prior to application. Violations can be verified on the IDCFS Sunshine website, or by calling the IDCFS information line at (877)746-0829. Each year, the site is required to submit an annual report to ensure there are no pending or substantiated IDCFS violations and the programs most recent federal monitoring report shows no deficiencies.  In addition, any area(s) of non-compliance have been corrected.

If a licensed site has any classroom(s) not funded by Head Start and not monitored by the grantee, it is not eligible for this initiative. Application for ExceleRate Illinois may be made through either the child care center accreditation or assessment paths.

Any technical assistance &/or training needs should be requested through Head Start.

Please contact ExceleRate at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information about eligibility, instructions for the enrollment process, and required documentation/certifications.

 

Visit the links below for useful information.

Licensed Child Care Centers

Licensed Family Child Care

Other Websites:

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1226 Towanda Avenue
Bloomington, IL 61701		   
866-697-8278   
309-828-1808   
Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
(BY APPOINTMENT ONLY)		   
ExceleRate® Illinois is administered through INCCRRA under the joint direction of the Illinois Department of Human Services and the Illinois State Board of Education.