About

In collaboration with Illinois Action for Children, through this program, Good Shepherd Center provides training opportunities and support for Day Care Centers and Home Childcare providers in the far south suburban Cook County area, as well as our newly aquired northern Cook County area.  This training includes all areas of information relevant to child development with an increased ability to provide information on the care and treatment of children with developmental disabilities.  For further information call the Community Partner Director, Maggie Keane, at 708-985-3737.

Illinois Action for Children

Illinois Action for Children proudly works to create systems of early care and education that help strengthen families and communities. Their outreach and work with low-income, hard-to-reach families has lead them to research and implement innovative and highly-effective programs and advocacy to ensure that all children in Illinois have access to high-quality opportunities, and that parents are supported in their goals of economic self-sufficiency and stability.

To that end IAFC works to reach this goal by partnering with four agencies to deliver training and resources to child care providers working in homes and centers across Cook County. Community partners are located strategically across Cook County to meet the child care providers in the where they live and work. Good Shepherd Center currently serves as the Community Partner Serving South/ Southwest Suburban Cook County. The other Community Partner agencies are, Children’s Home and Aid serving Far North Chicago and North Suburban Cook County, Carole Robertson Center for Learning serving West and Central Chicago and West suburban Cook County and Centers for New Horizons serving South Chicago.

Illinois Action for Children’s program areas include public policy and advocacy, child care supports, early childhood education, parent engagement and community building and organizing. They also administer the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) for Cook County, helping more than 50,000 families pay for child care each month.

Illinois Action for Children’s broad approach to supporting children, families and communities is a proven and effective means to address overarching issues of endemic poverty, which are the root cause of the educational failure of America’s poorest children.

Illinois Action for Children’s Mission statement states:

Illinois Action for Children is a catalyst for organizing, developing and supporting strong families and powerful communities where children matter most.

INCCRRA

The Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA) is a statewide organization which – in partnership with its 16 local Child Care Resources and Referral (CCR&R) agencies – is a recognized leader, catalyst and resource for making high quality, affordable early care and education and school-age care options available for children and families in Illinois.

DCFS

Their goal is to protect children by strengthening and supporting families, and we hope that the information available here will help you join us in this important work. From hotline calls to family reunification, foster care and adoption, you can be a part of everything we do. Thank you for your interest in the well-being of children and families in Illinois.

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Resource Center

Resource Library hours are:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Wednesday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Appointments Required – Providers please call 708-985-3716 for approval of use and scheduled appointment.

The purpose of the Resource Library is to support quality child care services. At no time should any of these resources be used for a personal use.

The following machines are available and are supervised by staff:

Copy Machine
Fax Machine
Binding Machine
Laminating Machine

You must bring your own supplies to use these items: (including paper, laminating sheets, binding combs, etc.)

Good Shepherd Center computers will not be used without prior approval from Good Shepherd Center Management. This is for security purposes.