Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC): FAQs

The Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) officially launches on July 1, 2026. The new agency will consolidate responsibilities currently housed across the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS), and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) into a single agency focused on early childhood services.

The transition is being implemented over multiple years and will not be completed immediately on July 1, 2026. Many systems, programs, and administrative functions will continue transitioning through Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) and FY28. (Source: idec.illinois.gov)

What will be the same:

• Positions from each agency will continue their same roles and responsibilities for early childhood programs and services.
• Families will continue to access services through the same mechanisms they are now – there will be no immediate technology or service changes for early childhood families.
• Payment schedules, services, and programs will remain steady for this year’s grants and contracts into Fiscal Year 2027.
• Providers should call the same contacts for questions.

What will be different:

• All early childhood programs and services will be under one agency.
• Early childhood grants will be under one unified grants management system, Euna.
• IDEC will be the lead state agency for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), Early Intervention, Home Visiting, and Early Childhood Block Grant programs.
• Source: FAQs

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) will continue to oversee the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) after IDEC’s transition on July 1st, 2026. The KIDS Advisory Committee continues to meet throughout the year to discuss feedback from the field and uplift strategies to strengthen KIDS. KIDS coaches will continue to be available across the state to support teachers and administrators in implementing the assessment and incorporating developmentally appropriate practices in the classroom. (Source: Funding Alignment Slide Deck (June 2025), KIDS Advisory Committee)

While Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) will continue to remain at ISBE, IDEC continues to gather family input through the Supporting Children With Developmental Delays and Disabilities Workgroup and iterate on ways to support the needs of children with disabilities and developmental delays in their funding design work. (Source: Funding Alignment Slide Deck (June 2025), Supporting Children With Developmental Delays and Disabilities and Supporting Multilingual Learners Workgroup FAQs, IDEC Workgroup Schedule)

IDEC has partnered with Wonderschool to build an online licensing platform for providers and staff that will help providers further navigate the licensing process. The platform is currently in development and further updates will be released from IDEC. (Source: FAQs)

One of the first technology changes is the implementation of EUNA, a unified grants management system for early childhood grantees. EUNA brings grant application, reporting, and award management functions into a single online platform, replacing processes that were previously managed across multiple agencies. IDEC launched the system for FY27 grants on April 1, 2026. Note: Smart Start Workforce Grants will continue to be administered through INCCRRA through FY27. (Source: Grants)

There will be no immediate changes in technology or service delivery for families. Families will continue to access services and supports in the same manner they do now. (Source: FAQs)

Yes.

IDEC has stated that it is developing a new funding approach for early childhood programs. A Funding Design Workgroup began meeting in late 2024 to discuss how to streamline funding for early childhood programs and services. As of now, IDEC is planning to release a legislative proposal for FY27 spring session. 

Proposed changes include:

• Alignment of early childhood funding streams with similar purposes
• Streamlining distribution of funds to create stability for providers
• Longer-term targets for full funding that cover the true cost of care, rooted in family need

(Sources: Funding Design Workgroup Recommendations, FAQs)

Early childhood grantees will begin using EUNA, a unified grants management system designed to streamline the entire grant process. EUNA brings together grant administration functions previously managed across multiple agencies into a single online platform, allowing organizations to apply for grants, manage awards, submit reports, and access grant-related resources in one place.

IDEC launched the system for FY27 grants on April 1, 2026, and will continue providing training, technical assistance, and support to help grantees navigate the transition. The new system is intended to reduce administrative burden, improve consistency, and create a more coordinated experience for early childhood providers and organizations across Illinois. (Source: Grants)

Child care licensing responsibilities are transitioning from DCFS to IDEC. IDEC has identified licensing modernization as a major priority and has introduced legislation intended to simplify and streamline licensing processes. Parts in the administrative code are changing, but the older parts/forms will be honored for now.

Goals of the redesign include:

• Reducing administrative burden
• Improving provider experience
• Simplifying licensing requirements
• Modernizing systems and technology
• Maintaining health and safety protections

IDEC will be doing rulemaking for licensing for child care centers, child care homes, group child care homes, programs exempt from licensure, and background checks.. (Sources: Early Childhood Community Celebrates Progress Toward Simplification of Licensing Process & Professionalization of the field through Legislative Bill, For Providers)

No.

All licensed child care programs must continue to follow the licensing requirements that govern staff-to-child ratios and teacher qualifications. This includes child care centers that provide before- and after-school care in addition to full-day child care services. These licensing requirements will remain unchanged when the Illinois Department of Early Childhood launches on July 1, 2026. (Source: FAQs)

Child Care Licensing Redesign Bill, HB3595, passed in June 2026 and is awaiting implementation over the next several years. Key next steps include:

• Terminology updates take effect immediately once the Governor signs the bill into law.
• Background checks: IDEC will begin preparing to administer background checks after July 1, 2027, pending approval from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Illinois State Police (ISP).
• New exemption framework: IDEC is expected to implement the new exemption framework by July 1, 2027
• Programs operated by park districts and municipalities will have until July 1, 2028, to comply with the new exemption requirements.

Additional guidance and implementation details are expected as IDEC works through the transition process. (Sources: LegiScan, IDEC)

Visit idec.illinois.gov/forproviders.html to find resources for providers and how to get involved with IDEC.

There will be no changes to grant contacts for providers as of now, unless you have been notified otherwise. Please contact [email protected] if you have questions about specific points of contact. (Source: FAQs)

There will be no immediate changes to how providers receive payments, and payments will continue on their regular schedule. IDEC will continue using existing payment systems, including the Child Care Management System (CCMS) and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.

Because the State of Illinois will observe the Independence Day holiday on Friday, July 3, payment processing may be affected. For providers who are typically paid during the first week of July, the Comptroller’s Office has indicated that direct deposit payments may be received as early as Wednesday, July 8. Paper checks are expected to be mailed on Tuesday, July 7.

Although the Comptroller’s Office is implementing a new accounting system during this period, no additional payment delays are anticipated. (Source: FAQs)