Following a community survey the Rock Island County AOK Network came together to look at the data and discovered that while many parents reported their children were receiving recommended immunizations and screenings, many reported not knowing when or where to have these screenings.

A group of local Network members gathered information from a number of resources to put together an easy to use screening and immunization tracker. Not only does this tracker present information in an easy to understand format, but it also provide parents with local resources and a guide to help parents have a better understanding of developmental milestones from birth to age five. This resource is now being used across the community, allowing parents to have information in one central location and a resource that is recognized and utilized across the community.

The main focus of the Early Childhood Mental Health subcommittee of AOK is to promote coordinated and collaborative early childhood mental health services, to raise public awareness to reduce stigma of mental health services, and to educate providers.  Every year, the network in Will County offers training on early childhood mental health.

Local speakers present on various topics, which have included: post-partum depression, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, social and emotional activities to do with children, art therapy, mental health in the Hispanic community, interventions for the young child, shaken baby syndrome, and working with homeless families.  Many professionals in the community attend each year.  With additional education, providers are more aware and able to help and serve Will County families.

The traditional family unit shrinks from the supportive environment of multi-generations living together to the scarce reality of single parents barely able to make ends meet…both financially and emotionally.  As a community, we are realizing that we are not meant to do this alone…nor can we.

All Our Kids Early Childhood Network is focusing on empowering our parents/caregivers to become leaders and advocates for their children and family.  The Network serves as a sounding board, cheerleader, consultant, educator, and part family.  It enables parents, community members, service providers, the faith community, and more to gather together to make connections, develop new knowledge, and create opportunities through conversation.  Through conversation we are creating a climate for discovery and emergence.

Childhood obesity was on the rise in Tazewell County.  The latest research and news reports showed that obesity is a serious health concern for children and adolescents. Realizing that children need to learn healthy habits early in life, the Network developed the annual Keepin’ Kids Movin’ Expo.  The Expo is designed to bring the whole family in for an afternoon of activities and encourage parents/caregivers to keep their kids movin’ for a lifetime:  Making Family Time Active Time.

In Stephenson County, we are embracing the “Parent Café” style of communication and strategically engaging in uncommon conversations about what matters most to the people in our community.  Community members from all walks of life are coming together, connecting social service efforts with faith based organization efforts in hopes of ending fear, division and discrimination.  These uncommon connections are meeting needs in ways we have never imagined, and we are forming partnerships we never thought possible.

Respiratory problems are on the rise in St. Clair County, which is right across the river from the St. Louis metropolitan area. The St. Clair County AOK Network identified asthma as a major health concern for a growing number of young families. By partnering with the Asthma Coalition, the Network can now connect those families with services that help them battle the chronic disease. Also, daily asthma alerts are posted on the Network’s Web site.

McLean County won a Federal “Communities of Excellence Award”. The AOK Network was recognized for its role facilitating collaboration that allows partners to find innovative ways to solve problems, share resources, and serve more members of the community. Network partners participated in a Washington think-tank discussion on how to coordinate services and “drop the turf barriers” that all too often have agencies competing with each other rather than working together.

In Kane County early childhood agencies and other organizations had a lot of useful information for parents, but there was no one place to get it all. The Kane County AOK Network brought 35 providers together to plan a Web site and spread the word that funding was needed to support its development. The United Way of Elgin became a champion for the Web site. They connected with United Ways of Batavia, Central Kane County and Fox Valley as well as the Cities of Elgin and Aurora, the townships of Elgin and Aurora and two hospitals and a library raising the funds needed to connect parents to hundreds of providers with one click of a mouse at www.kanecountyguide.org. Through this network of funders, this website has remained a valuable source of information through regular updates and revisions to assure accuracy of the information and user-friendly format.

This year the AOK Network has grown to over 100 + members.  The membership includes parents, providers, community residents and business leaders.  As a Network we voted to address issues pertaining to infant, child and family safety; family and community violence and screening (infant, child and adult).  Various providers have presented on such topics as autism, violence and combating obesity.  Our Parent Board is working on a resource guide and the Screening Committee has voted to provide developmental screenings in family shelters located on the Westside of Chicago.  The Network has also partnered with the State’s Project Launch Initiative to address childhood mental health issues.

When the Cicero AOK Network assessed the needs of the community, they found only 5 to 10 percent of children ages 3 to 5 were enrolled in preschool. They reported their findings to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Impressed by their collaborative work to identify and meet young families’ needs, ISBE funded an additional 800 preschool slots, raising the number of children served to nearly 30 percent.