Manley Joins Will County Early Childhood Community Action Forum

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. – State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, participated in a panel discussion at the Will County Early Childhood Community Action Forum on Monday, Oct. 26 at the Debbie Sykora Early Learning Center in Bolingbrook.

The forum was hosted by Illinois Action for Children, with partners at Birth to Five, All Our Kids (AOK), Start Early, and Raising Illinois, to bring together community leaders, early childhood professionals and family advocates.

Alongside Rep. Manley, the other panelists included Dayana Bagdo of The Resurrection Project, Deb Clark of the Illinois Council on Family Relations, Ellise Boyd Johnson, center director and CEO of Anointed Child Care Academy, and Arielle Jones, a family-engagement specialist with the Will County AOK network.

“If we invest in children in the critical years before they get to school, many of the most expensive services won’t be needed,” Rep. Manley said. “That investment includes supporting the people who care for our youngest learners and making sure families can access services when they need them.”

The panel discussion centered on a supported caregiving workforce and families’ access to essential services. Audience members shared their experiences with early intervention, transferable background checks, support for children with special needs, and the challenges providers face amid workforce shortages.

“If the people who care for the kids, like parents, childcare professionals, home visitors, early interventionists, therapists, and social workers are cared for, the kids will be okay,” Deborah Clark, of the Illinois Council on Family Relations said. “That means our priority must be to fund the programs that keep families healthy, like employment preparation that leads to jobs with a living wage, SNAP, WIC, and mental health services.”

In July 2026, The Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) officially became the lead agency for child care licensing, the Head Start State Collaboration Office Grant, early intervention, the Child Care Assistance Program, and a range of other early childhood support to families, providers and educators.

For more information on the services they provide for both families and providers, visit idec.illinois.gov.

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