Darragh-Ernst appointed to IL Early Childhood Education Advisory group

Heartland Community College faculty member Johnna Darragh-Ernst has been named to a state advisory board helping to transform Illinois early childhood education and care programs. 

Governor JB Pritzker named Dr. Darragh-Ernst, Distinguished Professor of Early Childhood Education at Heartland, as one of eighteen members of the Early Childhood Education and Care Transition Advisory Committee. 

The committee is part of the Pritzker administration's plan to create a new, unified state agency to administer early childhood education and care programs. Members consist of educators, childcare providers, and policy experts. 

The unified agency will address the obstacles that providers and families experience when navigating various agencies. Currently, services are housed in three separate agencies—the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS), and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). The Transition Advisory Committee will help inform and provide feedback to the State as it prepares for the transition to a new single agency. 

"I want to thank this incredible group of parents, educators, leaders and advocates for their dedication to creating a more cohesive, equitable, and family-centered early childhood education and care system in Illinois," said Governor Pritzker. "Their perspectives and feedback are vital as Illinois transitions to a single agency for early childhood education and care, bolstering our support for our youngest residents and their families." 

The Transition Advisory Committee will work with the state's Early Childhood Transition Director to release a report by December 31, 2025.