Tri-County Opportunities Council Early Head Start/Head Start

09/22/2026

Preschool Screening appointments available for Friday, October 2nd in the morning.

L.E.A.S.E. will be holding free preschool screenings at the First United Methodist Church, 100 E. 6th St. Mendota on Friday, October 2nd in the morning from 9-11am. The screenings are for children who are 3 or 4 years old. L.E.A.S.E. will screen key developmental areas such as motor development, speech, language, vision, hearing and general readiness.

You can schedule an appointment by calling Julie at 815-433-6433.
All children must be screened to be considered for the Mendota District #289 Preschool Program. If your child has been screened by LEASE already, he/she does not need to be screened again.

Applications for Mendota District #289 Preschool will be available at the screenings. The applications and screenings will be reviewed by the preschool team, and you will be contacted as to whether your child qualifies for preschool. Due to high demand there is a possibility your child might end up on our waiting list. As spots open up, we use the list to offer a space to potential students.
Mendota Elementary District #289 offers three need-based programs for three and four year olds: One is a Developmental Program for students who qualify for Special Education Services due to a significant delay in one or more areas. There are two Preschool classrooms that are funded through the ISBE Grant Preschool for All and have specific qualifiers as “needs-based” programs. There is no charge for the Mendota District Preschool program.

Children that are admitted into the program attend Monday through Friday either in the morning (8:15 to 10:45) or the afternoon (12:15 to 2:45) depending on program availability.
Transportation is not provided for preschool.

Those who screened in September, we have received the paperwork and will be contacting families this week with either a waitlist notice or the next steps in admission.

09/22/2026

Next week!

09/22/2026

Head Start parents and caregivers, this one is for you.

You know what Head Start did for your child and family. Maybe it was the teacher who caught something no one else had time to notice. Maybe it was a screening that found a problem early, while there was still time to help. Maybe it was just knowing your child walked into kindergarten ready.

There is a proposed federal rule that would take a lot of that away. It would drop the required health, vision, and hearing screenings. It would loosen the staffing that keeps classrooms safe. It would pull back the early support for kids who learn a little differently.

Parents and caregivers get a say in this. Not just the people in Washington. You.

If you are a Head Start parent or caregiver, please sign the Parent Sign-On Letter and stand with families nationwide: https://nhsa.org/nprm-resources/how-to-speak-up-for-head-start/

09/22/2026

Dine at a Candlelight Group Restaurant in Whiteside County TOMORROW (9/23) and a portion of your bill will be donated to UWWC!

Thanks to:
Artisan Oven
Brink's
Candlelight Inn -Rock Falls
Emerson's Pub - Rock Falls
The Industrial

For their generosity!

09/22/2026

Another great combined socialization day for our Early Head Start Home-Based families! 💚

These socialization days are a wonderful way for children and families from different communities to come together, learn, explore, and build connections with one another. Each activity gives children an opportunity to practice important skills while having fun and learning through hands-on experiences. 🧒🎨✨

From putting jobs on the job chart, to experimenting with paint, trying new vegetables and different flavored dips, and practicing healthy tooth-brushing habits, every activity supports children’s development and school readiness in a fun, engaging way. 🖌️🥕🪥

This is what Home-Based is all about: creating meaningful learning experiences, supporting families, encouraging healthy habits, and giving children the opportunity to learn and grow together! 💚

09/21/2026

Look at our Lacon site having so much fun!

09/21/2026

🚨Action needed: Speak up to ensure diapers and formula remain in Head Start.

A proposed federal rule would remove the requirement that Head Start programs provide diapers and formula to enrolled children during the program day. Diapers are a basic need — and removing this support would place added strain on families, Head Start programs, and community basic needs banks.

We need advocates, partners, families, and supporters to speak up and urge the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to keep the current requirement that Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide diapers and formula to enrolled children during the program day.

Submit a public comment using the template provided in the comments below by Tuesday, October 6, 2026:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/07/2026-16134/reducing-federal-burden-forhead-start-programs -comment

09/21/2026

09/21/2026

09/21/2026

Day 15: https://ilheadstart.org/comment_challenge_-_day_15.php

Where do the new slots come from?

This rule is supposed to pay for itself and then some, and the money is supposed to turn into slots for children who aren't being served now.

Here's where that money comes from.

About a third of it is already in Head Start budgets. That's the cut to the administrative cost cap, and ACF calls it "a reallocation of expenditures within the program," not a reduction in Head Start spending.

Most of the rest is staff. ACF's own sentence: the projected savings "reflect lower expenditures to serve the same number of children with fewer staff." The biggest piece is removing the teacher-child ratio, $668 million a year, built on a model with about a quarter fewer teachers.

ACF's own words are that the money "may" turn into slots, and "could" go toward enrollment. Not will. May.

You know the part ACF's numbers don't show.

If you run a program, it's what opening one more classroom would actually take. A room that meets licensing. A local match you can raise. A way for children to get there. And teachers you can hire at wages you can pay.

If you teach, it's what one more child in the room means on a hard morning.

If you're a family advocate or a family service worker, it's how many families you carry now, and which ones you'd stop being able to reach if that number went up.

If you're a parent, it's the teacher who knew your child was having a hard week before you said anything. Who tells you something at pickup you hadn't seen yourself. That kind of knowing happens one child at a time. Tell them what it's meant for your family.

Full prompt at ilheadstart.org, link in bio or scan the QR Code

Didn't get to the other days in our 30-Day Comment Challenge? You can check out all thirty days at our ilheadstart.org or https://www.ilheadstart.org/the_30-day_comment_challenge.php

Docket ACF-2026-0595. Comments close October 6.