Families across Knox, Henderson, Mercer, and Warren counties now have a free, one-stop place to find early childhood resources. Jim Walters, Regional Council Manager, and Alli Chasteen, Family and Community Engagement Specialist, both with Birth to Five Illinois: Region 33, joined Galesburg’s Morning News to talk about a new online resource called Before K — and one surprising need they discovered along the way: some kids were showing up to school without clean clothes, because their families had nowhere to do laundry.
They talked about:
- What Birth to Five Illinois does across its 39 regions statewide, and how Region 33 covers Knox, Henderson, Mercer, and Warren counties
- How a 2021 regional needs assessment led directly to this year’s launch of Before K
- What’s actually inside the Before K resource guide, from prenatal support to kindergarten readiness
- The new “Changes in Early Childhood” report and what’s shifted locally since 2021 — including a rise in home-based childcare providers
- An unexpected need uncovered through community conversations: laundry access for families
- How to get involved, from the group’s Facebook page to its “road show” presentations for local clubs and churches
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