IECAM - Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map

Happy one-year anniversary to the Illinois Early Childhood Data Hub! Over the past year, the Data Hub has helped stakeholders across Illinois access and use early childhood data to support their work and communities. If you are new to the Data Hub, check out our latest blog post where we share a few examples of how the Data Hub can support your early childhood work and our plans to provide even more resources and updates.
Read here: https://iecam.illinois.edu/blog/celebrating-one-year-anniversary-of-iecam-data-hub
If you already use the Data Hub, we would love to hear how it has supported your work.

The IECAM Winter/Spring 2026 newsletter is out. Learn about new service and demographic data that’s available on the Data Hub as well as the retirement of our legacy database and Regional Reports. https://bit.ly/4d8RARz

Subscribe to get future updates about data releases and early childhood insights delivered directly to your inbox. https://groups.webservices.illinois.edu/subscribe/172449

IECAM will be presenting at the upcoming Learning Technologies Showcase, hosted by the Center for Research and Innovation in Technology-Enhanced Learning (ITEL) Education at Illinois. The presentation will explore how large-scale data and emerging technologies can enhance early childhood research, practice, and policy.

Join us on May 11 at 9:30 a.m. in Room 22 of the Education Building.

We look forward to connecting with colleagues and sharing innovative approaches to advancing the field of early childhood education.

Full agenda can be found here: https://itel.education.illinois.edu/home/future-learning-technologies-showcase

The IECAM team is at the Start Early 2026 Illinois State Board of Education Prevention Initiative Forum.

We are excited to connect, share what we do, and talk about how early childhood data can support your work.

Stop by, say hello, and bring your questions, we’d love to chat!

We enjoyed connecting with people at the Preschool for All and Preschool for All Expansion Administrators Conference and sharing IECAM’s resources and interactive data displays.

We’ll be at the Prevention Initiative Forum tomorrow. Stop by, grab a chocolate, and let’s talk about using data to support your work.

Families are struggling to secure affordable care while some child care programs operate below capacity. Many classrooms are left dark by the scarcity of early educators and because more parents are dropping out of the workforce due to high costs of living and declines in flexible work-from-home options.

A Child Care Paradox: Families on Waitlists, Centers Underenrolled Families struggle to secure affordable care, while some child care programs operate below capacity.

See how Illinois stacks up against Tennessee before the Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl kicks off at 5:30 p.m. today.

IECAM now has eligibility estimates for the second quarter of 2025. Check out how many children are eligible for CCAP and Head Start programs on the Data Hub at datahub.iecam.illinois.edu

Looking for details on home visiting in your area? Check out our new section on the IECAM Data Hub at datahub.iecam.illinois.edu

Just a few data points from IECAM to feast on over the Thanksgiving holiday. Enjoy!