Birth to Five Illinois

What Birth to Five Illinois does

Birth to Five Illinois is a state-funded nonprofit organization that operates as a department of iNCCRRA (Illinois Network for Child Care Resource and Referral) with the mission of redesigning Illinois's Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) system by centering the experiences of families with children from birth to age five. Headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois, and funded primarily through the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the organization does not deliver child-care services directly but instead functions as a statewide coordination and system-redesign layer. Its core "product" is programmatic rather than technological: it convenes and supports 50+ Regional Early Childhood Councils covering all 102 Illinois counties, deploys Regional Family & Community Engagement (FACE) Specialists and Regional Council Managers into communities, distributes subcontracts and planning grants to providers, maintains a Statewide Family Leadership Council, and produces reports and resources for the early childhood ecosystem.

The business model is best characterized as managed services funded by government appropriation rather than commercial revenue. All services to families are free of charge; the organization has no fee-for-service revenue, no subscription product, and no SaaS offering. Its go-to-market motion is community-led rather than sales-led: families are reached through regional specialists, newsletters, bilingual (English/Spanish) website content, and partnerships with local organizations, while providers are reached through councils, subcontracts, and professional learning offerings. Strategic partnerships with the Illinois Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development (GOECD), Erikson Institute, and Start Early extend its policy, academic, and advocacy reach. The 101–250-person organization is staffed by professionals with advanced degrees and credentials from Erikson Institute, DePaul University, Roosevelt University, and other institutions, reflecting the relationship-driven, high-trust nature of the ECEC coordination work it performs.

Name

Birth to Five Illinois

Legal name

Birth to Five Illinois

Website

https://birthtofiveil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Birth to Five Illinois is a state-funded nonprofit department of iNCCRRA that redesigns Illinois's Early Childhood Education and Care system by operating 50+ Regional Early Childhood Councils and deploying Family & Community Engagement Specialists across all 102 Illinois counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Coordination Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

In-Service Professional Development (Workshops/Institutes/Short Courses) (EDACAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Family community engagement
• Child care resource referral
• Regional early childhood councils
• Early childhood system coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Birth to Five Illinois is funded primarily through government sources, specifically through the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). The organization operates as a department of the National Child Care Resource and Referral (NCCRR) network and receives state funding to support its mission of redesigning the Early Childhood Education and Care system across Illinois.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Birth to Five Illinois coordinates and supports the redesign of the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) system across Illinois by managing 50+ Regional Early Childhood Councils, deploying Family & Community Engagement (FACE) Specialists in every region, administering planning grants and FY25 subcontracts, and connecting Illinois families with children birth to age 5 to early childhood resources and providers. All services are provided free of charge and funded by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

Product overview

Birth to Five Illinois is a state-funded community initiative (a department of the Illinois Department of Human Services) focused on redesigning the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) system across Illinois by centering family experiences. The organization does not offer a software product, SaaS platform, or technology-based service. Its offerings consist of programmatic support including regional councils, family and community engagement services, planning grants, subcontract administration, and resource coordination—all delivered through human-centered, community-based work rather than a digital product or platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regional Early Childhood Councils
• Family & Community Engagement (FACE) Services
• Planning Grants Program
• FY25 Subcontracts Program
• Professional Learning and Training Programs

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Illinois Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development (GOECD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGOECD is a key state partner in early childhood initiatives. The Communications Manager previously served as Director of Communication & Dissemination for GOECD, and the organizations work collaboratively on statewide early childhood efforts including the Illinois Early Learning Council.
• Erikson InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing leadership development through programs like the Barbara Bowman Leadership Fellows. Multiple team members are alumni, and the institute provides expertise in child development and early childhood education.
• Start EarlymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState and national policy partner in early childhood. Team members have worked with Start Early on Illinois and National Policy Teams, bringing policy expertise to Birth to Five Illinois.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Start Early: Start Early (formerly the Ounce of Prevention Fund) is a national early childhood policy and programming organization. It is a direct strategic partner of Birth to Five Illinois and operates overlapping state-level ECE coordination, policy, and family engagement work in Illinois and nationally.
• Child Care Aware of America: Child Care Aware of America is the national membership organization for Child Care Resource and Referral agencies, including iNCCRRA in Illinois. It is the national umbrella counterpart to the resource/referral and coordination work Birth to Five Illinois performs at the state level.
• NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children): NAEYC is the largest professional membership organization for early childhood educators. It overlaps with Birth to Five Illinois in ECE professional development, quality standards, and accreditation services supporting Illinois providers.
• ZERO TO THREE: ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit focused on infant and toddler development, policy, and professional resources. It overlaps thematically with Birth to Five Illinois's birth-to-five family engagement mandate and ECE system coordination work.

Direct peers

• Illinois Action for Children: Illinois Action for Children is a statewide nonprofit advancing equitable access to early childhood education and care across Illinois. It directly overlaps with Birth to Five Illinois in serving Illinois families, providers, and ECE system coordination, including Child Care Assistance Program navigation and provider support.
• iNCCRRA (Illinois Network for Child Care Resource and Referral): iNCCRRA is the parent organization of Birth to Five Illinois and the Illinois affiliate of the national Child Care Resource and Referral network. It directly overlaps in child care resource coordination, provider support, and statewide ECE infrastructure across Illinois.
• Illinois Head Start Association: The Illinois Head Start Association is the state membership organization for Head Start and Early Head Start grantees. It overlaps directly with Birth to Five Illinois in coordinating Head Start programs, provider support, and family engagement services across Illinois.

Others

• Erikson Institute: Erikson Institute is a graduate school and research organization focused on early childhood development, and is a named strategic partner of Birth to Five Illinois. It overlaps in ECE workforce development, leadership training, and applied research informing Illinois ECEC system redesign.
• Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development (Illinois): GOECD is the Illinois state government entity coordinating early childhood policy, including the Illinois Early Learning Council. It is a named strategic partner of Birth to Five Illinois and shapes the state policy framework within which the organization operates.

Regional players

• Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC): The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care is a comparable state-level public agency responsible for coordinating ECEC system redesign, licensing, and family access in another state. It is comparable to the system coordination function Birth to Five Illinois performs in Illinois.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/birth-to-five-il
• Facebookfacebook.com/BirthToFiveIL

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Birth to Five Illinois