The Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) Children Services Division (CSD) is dedicated to strengthening the lives of Chicago Children, Families, and Communities.
We manage Chicago Early Learning (CEL) programs, including Head Start, Early Head Start, Preschool For All (PFA), and Prevention Initiative (PI) throughout Chicago particularly those most in need from birth to five years of age.
Get the latest CSD-related news and updated resources here.
Families with children up to age five can still apply for a Chicago Early Learning Program! Within 48 hours of submitting their child's application, they should receive placement notifications at the email used for their guardian login. They can accept their offer online by logging into their account at chicagoearlylearning.org, recommend accepting families accept their offers as soon as possible, even if they are waitlisted for a program they ranked higher.
Read MoreRead MoreEach Head Start content area is a building block that ensures the highest level of quality in every Head Start classroom across the city. Find the latest regulation updates, trainings, resources and more.
Post the Flushing Record Keeping Log nearby the affected fixture(s) and follow the directions in your mitigation plan e.g., flush daily for 30 seconds and 1 hour prior to start time. The numbers alongside represent the days of the week. Feel free to use these postings/log or you can develop your own.
These screenshots will help you to navigate the portal and to locate your lab results. It provides a view of the face page where you can download mitigation reports even upload documents and pictures.
A program must train each bus monitor before the monitor begins work. This document tracks if trainings have been completed. It should be completed and filed on site.
This form should be completed pre-field trip and should be submitted post- field trip to your agency’s monitoring team supervisor and the transportation liaison. File a copy for your records.
This form certifies that pedestrian safety training has been completed. Please submit the completed form to your agency’s monitoring team supervisor and the transportation liaison and file a copy on site for your records.
This document is a template for a nutrition services cooperative agreement. Agencies may add their letterhead and adopt when partnering with nutrition providers.
This is a template scope of services for mental health consultation that an agency may use when contracting with a mental health consultant. It includes all services required of the mental health consultant by the Head Start Program Performance Standards and CELS 2.0 manual.
This document is referred to in the scope of services template. Agency should submit to monitoring team supervisor if they use DFSS’s mental health consultant.
Mental health consultants must complete a written summary of the observations and recommendations for children individually observed. A copy of the individual observation report should be kept in the child’s file. See CELS 2.0 Chapter 9, II.C.f for more information.
Agencies should complete this form when conducting their annual planning session with a mental health consultant and keep on site. See CELS 2.0 Chapter 9.II.C.a for more information.
State of Illinois law requires proof of a physical examination dated no earlier than one year prior to a child’s entrance into the program. Proof of physical exam and immunization dates and records must be submitted on the Child Health Examination Form. The Child Health Examination Form must be kept in each child’s file.
This form must be signed by the authorized examining health care provider who conducted the child's health examination. This form must be kept in a child’s file.
This document provides the schedule program fee for dental services according to procedure.
Dentist should complete this form when a child needs further treatment. This form must be kept in a child’s file.
The purpose of the CSD CARES Digital Hub (Digital Hub) is to serve as a centralized source of CSD CARES training information for Community-Based Organization (CBO) / Delegate Agency (DA) leadership and staff.
For questions regarding CARES, please contact CSDSupport@cityofchicago.org.
This guide serves as a reference support for effectively entering CRC data and documenting that staff have completed their CRCs. Please note all Head Start, Early Head Start, Early Head Start Child Care Partnership staff must have completed CRCs before beginning to work under their respective Head Start grants.
CPS has provided the following tracker where staff can check the status of their file:
https://cps-mss.accuratebiometrics.com/candidateTracker
If you have questions, you may email BackgroundCheck@cps.edu.
Notifications have been sent regarding employee status through the secure CSD background check drop box, if contacted, the agency is to respond immediately with a current status for any impacted employee here's an example: Jane Doe has not been employed since December 1, 2000.
This form is part of the referral packet that agencies must submit with a child’s referral to Chicago Public Schools for a full and individual evaluation. The consent form is completed by agency staff reviewed with and signed by parents to allow the process to proceed. Click here to download the form in English.
This form is part of the referral packet that agencies must submit with a child’s referral to Chicago Public Schools for a full and individual evaluation. The consent form is completed by agency staff reviewed with and signed by parents to allow the process to proceed.
This form is used to assist staff in completing the process for the referral to early intervention for a child with a disability. All steps of the referral process must also be documented in CSD CARES under child’s case notes.
This form needs to be signed by the parent in order to authorize the agency to release the child's information to the Illinois Early Intervention program. Click here to download the form in Spanish.
After enrolling a child in CSD CARES, agency staff should print this CSD CARES generated form. It must be signed and kept in the child's file along with eligibility supporting documentation.
Complete this form and submit to your monitoring team supervisor when a program’s daily average attendance falls below 85% within any quarter.
Get The FormGet The FormSubmit this form to the help desk when an agency needs access to a child already in CSD CARES.
Attendance should be completed DAILY. The window to edit attendance for each month closes on the 6th business day of the following month. If an edit or correction is needed after the window has closed, an agency may submit a request using this form. It should be noted that late requests for edits are reviewed and approved on an individual basis.
The incident report is a working document meaning it is not considered complete until it incorporates all follow-up, information from accompanying site visits and contains supporting documentation, as requested, by the grantee. This incident reporting template should be completed in its entirety by the Agency/Partner/Site Director and/or their designee. For further reference, please see page 40 of the CELS 2.0, (ii) Immediate Reporting to DFSS or contact your DFSS Monitoring Team Supervisor.
Find other reporting forms under the Data Management page or ERSEA page.
All delegate agencies, regardless of funding stream, are required to conduct an annual self-assessment. Agencies must submit a self-assessment report, using the attached template, to their monitoring team supervisor and cels-planning@cityofchicago.org
All Head Start delegate agencies must conduct and submit a comprehensive community needs assessment once every five years. Use the attached form to indicate the agency’s five-year schedule and submit to cels-planning@cityofchicago.org.
Agencies are required to submit a monthly Human resources Report by the 7th of the month to their Monitoring Team Supervisor. Please refer to CELS 2.0 Manual under the Program Management and Quality Improvement Section N, Human Resources, Files and Reporting (pages 54-55).
The nomination form must be submitted for CPPC elections for the following open offices: Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Community Representative, and Community Representative to the Executive Committee. Click on the form to read descriptions on each position.
Please encourage your agency’s parent delegate to run for office.
The tracking form tracks the first parent committee meeting for each site, and the delegate agency’s first policy committee meeting. It should be submitted to the operations monitoring supervisor. This document must be submitted annually by November 30th.
This certification form should be completed by all delegates and submitted to the DFSS email at, cels-planning@cityofchicago.org and the operations monitoring supervisor. This document must be submitted annually by November 30th.
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The CSBG Scholarship Program offers financial aid ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 for income-eligible residents of the City of Chicago who demonstrate academic achievement, career potential, and educational motivation. Displaced and underemployed workers, high school graduates (or equivalent), and Chicago residents aspiring to obtain higher education and employment are invited to apply. Applications are due August 16, 2021, by 5:00 p.m.
Beginning October 1, 2021, parents who are unemployed and actively seeking employment will be eligible for three months of Child Care Assistance, provided they meet the standard CCAP eligibility requirements. If parents become employed or enroll in an education program before the end of the three-month period and meet all other CCAP eligibility requirements, their eligibility will continue for 12 months in total.
Families interested in applying for support through the Child Care Assistance Program, can contact their local Child Care Resource & Referral Agency (CCR&R) which can be found online at https://www.inccrra.org/about/sdasearch or by calling 1-877-202-4453 toll-free.
The Hire Chicago partners, the City of Chicago, World Business Chicago, and The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership) are dedicated to creating a one-of-a-kind hiring event that offers unique, industry-specific opportunities for both job seekers and employers as Chicago enters a new, post-pandemic economy.
Login to download CSD documents.
Need a login? Contact your program administrator for your login info or request credentials from DFSS by completing the registration form.