SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel advanced a measure to set clear educational standards for individuals seeking child care director positions, making sure families across Illinois can trust that those overseeing their children’s care and development meet a high-quality professional preparation benchmark.
“We want to keep our children safe, and regulating who can watch over them at day care centers is a way to help with that,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “This bill not only sets educational benchmarks for child care directors, but it also makes sure that day care centers have a way to stay open if they cannot fill that position right away.”
In the Illinois Department of Human Services’ 2023 survey of child care centers, respondents said that it was between “somewhat difficult” and “very difficult” to find qualified staff for open positions, including directors. Aware that day care centers’ directors are crucial to the facilities staying open and benefiting communities, Loughran Cappel is leading House Bill 4587.
The measure would allow interim conditional child care directors to be employed for 12 months while working toward completion of the profession’s educational requirements. However, only licensed day care centers with a fully credentialed director could hire interim child care directors, and they would not be able to hire more than one interim director per fully credentialed director.
“Creating a pathway for interim conditional child care directors allows the child care workforce to grow while prioritizing our children’s protection,” said Loughran Cappel. “All children deserve to be looked after by qualified professionals, and this measure increases the odds of that happening.”
House Bill 4587 passed the Senate Tuesday and heads back to the House for concurrence.
