The Early Childhood Network is a community-based collaboration that consists of people interested in helping families with young children get the best start in life. The Early Childhood Network of McHenry County is a community-based network that consist of people interested in helping families with young children get the best start in life. The Early Childhood Network of McHenry County is comprise
d of community partners from multiple sectors, such as social services, early care and education, health care, mental health, and parents. These community members come together to provide resources and educational opportunities for families with young children. In early 2012, Illinois Action for Children, 4-C: Community Coordinated Child Care, and a local consultant, with the support of a Building Blocks grant through the Grand Victoria Foundation, conducted a countywide Needs Assessment. This effort brought together individuals from the social service, business, education, child care and medical sectors. The results of the assessment served as the foundation for guiding our work in developing a community-wide developmental screening program. Two key partners established a developmental screening program for the county through training and public awareness activities designed to increase early identification of developmental delays. Identifying developmental delays early in life increases opportunities for early intervention. Children who receive necessary supports early in life increase their ability to be better prepared for school. As we worked towards developing this comprehensive screening system, we utilized the strong collaboration through the Local Interagency Council (LIC) to begin this work. Through further investigation, we reviewed the AOK framework and saw that their goals fell in line with what we envisioned for McHenry County. In January 2013, we merged the LIC and AOK into one cohesive collaborative. The McHenry County AOK Network decided not only to focus on promoting early identification, but also to increase the awareness of the role early child care providers play in screening for developmental delays and subsequently referring families for services. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire: 3rd Edition (ASQ-3) was identified as a common, universal screening tool. Two sites were identified to pilot this effort in two diverse areas within the county. Over time, we were able to obtain an additional grant to purchase twenty- four ASQ-3 kits (22 English, 2 Spanish). These kits were awarded to 16 different child care centers/preschools and six family child care providers. Training has occurred in all of these sites along with additional sites who purchased their own kits. The McHenry County Developmental Screening Program has a couple of key components that set us apart. All children are screened by both their parents and the primary child care provider. Following the compilation of the scores and discussion with the family about the results, every family receives the completed ASQ-3 tools back for their records and are encouraged to share the results with their pediatrician. The child care facility maintains a copy of the master scoring page, in order to identify any trends with children as they continue to complete the ASQ-3 every six to twelve months. Following each screening and follow-up conference with parents, all families receive information on developmental milestones as well as age appropriate activities that they can do with their child. As a result of the success of this project, both Early Intervention and Early Childhood Education programs have received referrals based on these screenings. In the fall of 2017, another grant from the McHenry County Community Foundation was obtained to expand The McHenry County Developmental Screening Program to include the Ages and Stages Social and Emotional Questionnaire. With the ASQ:SE kits child care programs are able to screen for social/emotional concerns and behavioral challenges. In July 2020, McHenry County AOK Network changed it's name to the Early Childhood Network of McHenry County. Continuing it's support of the McHenry County Developmental Screening Program as well as promoting continued collaboration and sharing of resources to better the lives of young families.
