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Teresa Ramos, who presently serves as Illinois’ first assistant deputy governor of training, would be the first secretary of the newly created Illinois Division of Early Childhood, pending state Senate affirmation, Gov. J.B. Pritzker introduced in a press launch on Monday.
Ramos’ “experience throughout training, youngster care, neighborhood engagement, and early childhood improvement make her a pacesetter in her discipline that I do know will lead the brand new Division to success,” stated Pritzker within the press launch.
Since being reelected in 2022, Pritzker has put extra funding and assets in direction of the state’s early childhood training and youngster care applications for households. He boosted funding for early childhood training along with his Good Begin Initiative and proposed the early childhood division in October 2023.
Illinois lawmakers handed laws this spring to create the Division of Early Childhood. The state allotted $14 million within the fiscal yr 2025 finances to assist streamline early childhood training and youngster care applications. The division is anticipated to start managing applications equivalent to early intervention for younger kids with disabilities and the Little one Care Help Program to help low-income households by July 1.
“I’m wanting to get began working with an unimaginable group of state workers, mother and father and households, advocates, and early childhood suppliers to create one thing distinctive that can give each toddler, toddler, and younger youngster a chance for a powerful and wholesome begin,” stated Ramos within the press launch.
Ramos has served as first assistant deputy governor of training below Pritzker since 2022, in accordance with the press launch. Previous to working within the governor’s workplace, Ramos had a protracted profession in early childhood training and kids. She was the vice chairman of public coverage, analysis, and advocacy at Illinois Motion for Youngsters, a nonprofit that focuses on youngster care and early childhood training and the most important administrator for the Little one Care Help Program in Cook dinner County — a program that gives monetary help for youngster care to low-income households.
She was the director of Group Engagement for Advance Illinois, a nonprofit training advocacy group, and helped with the governor’s training transition group in 2018.
Ramos is anticipated to start serving as secretary of the division in January if she is confirmed.
Presently, Illinois operates and funds youngster care and early childhood education schemes by means of the state’s Division of Human Providers, Illinois State Board of Training, and the Division of Youngsters and Household Providers.
Samantha Smylie is the state training reporter for Chalkbeat Chicago overlaying college districts throughout the state, laws, particular training and the state board of training. Contact Samantha at ssmylie@chalkbeat.org.