Our Child Care Resource and Referral program offers early childhood and school age trainings to help providers enhance their skills and meet professional training requirements for:
- ExceleRate® Illinois
- Department of Human Services Child Care Assistance Program
- Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) licensing
- Gateways to Opportunity, Child Development Associate (CDA) and other credentials
Note: Not all trainings will meet all of the above. See our training calendar for more details
We work in partnership with the Illinois Trainers Network and all of our trainings are Gateways Registry Approved.
Fees
- Statewide fees apply to some ExceleRate® Illinois trainings.
- Some trainings are free to providers listed in our referral database who are 4-C members.
- Child care providers from counties other than Carroll, DeKalb, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, and Whiteside may attend trainings. Fees may apply.
- NOTE: CPR and First Aid classes are reserved for providers in the 6 counties served by 4-C (listed above).
Other Professional Development Resources and Opportunities
We allocate Individual Professional Development Funds (IPDF) to assist providers with fees associated with conferences and credentials.
ilearning: The Gateways to Opportunity website hosts online trainings and links to other training entities. Included are online training resources to make online learning easy and enjoyable. General e-learning and technology resources and tools are also available for viewing, as well as, previously recorded webinars.
Illinois Statewide Training Calendar: Providers can learn about training opportunities offered by several training entities including the Child Care Resource and Referral system.
Gateways to Opportunity: Early childhood and school age professionals in Illinois can access professional development resources through one comprehensive system. The Gateways Scholarship and GreatStart wage supplement are just two of the many programs offered.
Community CPR/First Aid Options: This is not an exhaustive list, but is reflective of the community options that we were aware of at the time this list was released. Reimbursement is available for providers who take CPR and First Aid classes outside of 4-C. Please refer to the reimbursement guidelines for requirements.