Jan Deissler is director of Child Care Connection at Illinois Central College, a retired ICC professor, and a former program supervisor of child development.

She received her bachelor's degree in home economics from Bradley University, a master's degree in home economics from Illinois State University, and did additional post-graduate work in early child education at the University of Illinois.

Deissler was a Peoria District 150 School Board member from 1994-2004, serving as president of the board during two different terms. Among her other commitments, she was an integral part of the strategic planning process for District 150, served as a trustee for the Illinois School District Liquid Asset Fund, received a Master School Board Member designation from the Illinois Association of School Boards; was a member of the task force for the Federally Qualified Health Center, and served as president of the Peoria Public Schools Educational Foundation.

Deissler and her husband reside in Peoria and have three grown children.

Tell about your background, schools attended, family, etc.

I was born in a small town in Iowa, the middle child of parents who owned their own farm implement and hardware store. We lived on a farm until I was in high school, when we moved to Illinois. I attended Wyoming Community High School, where I had the greatest high school experience one could have-great friends, caring teachers, and the small town nurturing that contributes in a positive way to one's self-image. Upon graduation, I attended the University of Illinois, later graduating from Bradley University. My degree was in home economics, now family and consumer science, and I taught junior high in Sycamore.

We returned to Peoria, and I enrolled in graduate school at Illinois State University and taught at Manual High School. When I received my master's degree, I was hired by Illinois Central College to teach in the Child Development Program and to start the campus childcare center-the first in downstate Illinois. Much later, I attended the University of Illinois again to work toward a doctorate in early childhood education, stopping just short of the degree as my interests had taken me in yet a different direction: the implementation of the local office of the statewide childcare resource and referral system.

I've been married for 42 years, and we have three daughters and nine grandchildren.

Who or what prompted your interest in education and childcare issues?

From my earliest school years, I knew I wanted to be a teacher; the decision was which level to teach. My experience in the primary grades was a factor in this decision. While in high school, two of the most memorable teachers were those who taught home economics and business education. The home economics teacher took a group of students to Western Illinois University to visit, and that was the deciding factor in what my major would be.

Home economics majors take courses in child development and psychology, and it was while enrolled at Bradley that the decision was made to work toward a specialty that focused on young children. Interestingly, having taught junior high, high school, college, and early childhood education, each level was my favorite at the time. Having three young children helped further my interest in child care issues.

In the 1970s and 1980s, women were leaving their homes in massive numbers to enter the workforce. Child care was a dilemma even then. Few centers existed prior to 1970, and those that did were primarily concerned with custodial care and keeping the children safe. The push was on to improve the quantity and quality of child care environments, thus, the development of the Child Development Program at Illinois Central College and most other community colleges across the state. The Department of Children and Family Services revised its standards to require more formal education, and institutions of higher education were developing programs to meet that need.

You retired from Illinois Central College as a professor and program supervisor of child development. Tell why that program was necessary and how it developed.

The first program supervisor and the faculty person who preceded me was Sister Cor Marie, who was well-known in the community for her work in Head Start and her other child advocacy work. She began teaching a semester ahead of me. Sister provided me the mentoring needed to become a successful college instructor and director of the campus child center. Her knowledge and ability to share that knowledge provided the leadership needed to make our programs models for other institutions and the community.

The need for quality care was evident, and the quantity in our communities was inadequate to meet parental needs. Our course work was developed around the idea of "whole child" development; physical, social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development of the child occur simultaneously and are inter-related. Students acquired knowledge about how children develop and then what they, as teachers, could do to enhance that development.

The Child Care Connection was born from your position at ICC. Tell about that program: how it's funded, services provided, etc.

In the late 1980s, a public-private partnership was formed to develop a statewide system of child care resource and referral agencies that would address what the steering committee defined as essentials in any child care system. A competitive bidding process occurred in each of 16 service delivery areas within the state, but the word from the top was that prior to the bid being submitted, it would be important to pull together the entities existing in the community so one grant proposal would be submitted. I still tease Andrea Brown about this, as the Heart of Illinois United Way was the agency whose responsibility it was to call the entities together. It wasn't my intent to write the grant, but rather to be a participant in the consortium and provide the training through Illinois Central College. Before the meeting ended, Andrea-and the others present-determined ICC would be a neutral broker and a good place to house the service. The rest is history. It was 1989 when we received our planning grant and late in 1990 when we went live.

The ICC Child Care Connection serves a nine-county area in central Illinois: LaSalle, Bureau, Stark, Marshall, Putnam, Woodford, Tazewell, Peoria, and Fulton. The majority of funding is provided by the Illinois Department of Human Services, with some funding from fees for services provided. This past year, The Child Care Connection received $1.1 million to provide the following services:

• Child care referrals for parents, which include consumer education regarding quality care, how to identify such care, informational pamphlets for special topics in child development and access to a parent advisor who'll help the parent identify the type of care which will best meet the family's and the child's needs.
• Resource development, or the recruitment of additional child care providers, especially in the more rural areas or in areas where there's rapid growth and families seeking care close to home. Starting Point seminars are scheduled monthly to provide information to people interested in offering child care in their homes.
• Training and professional development for those who work in early childhood programs-both home- and center-based. Professional development funds are available for individuals to attend conferences, training offered by agencies other than Child Care Connection, and classes in higher education. These funds have to be applied for by the individual, and there's a maximum allowed per year per applicant. Many people attend one of the community colleges in the service delivery area. Also, funding is available for program accreditation in both homes and centers.
• The Quality Counts van, which is equipped with teaching supplies and professional materials for providers, is available to six counties on a regular basis, dropping off materials to providers and picking up those materials a few weeks later. In addition, the Quality Counts Program provides mentoring for family child care providers new to the field or who feel they need some additional support.
• The Child Care Assistance Program helps low-income parents pay for child care so they can work and/or participate in education and training. The office accepts applications; using state criteria, determines whether an applicant is eligible; and vouchers the State of Illinois for payment to providers. Each month, nearly 3,000 parents receive this service through the Child Care Connection.
• We maintain a database of providers; there are more than 700 currently. Statistical reporting also helps policymakers and local residents understand supply and demand factors. Any resident can request statistical reports from the agency.
• Community involvement is important in making the program work. We have representation on the Statewide Illinois Network of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (INCCRRA) and the Child Care & Development Advisory Committee of the Illinois Department of Human Services. In addition, we work with the local professional associations, All Our Kids Network, local interagency councils, Children's Hospital of Illinois, and a number of other local boards.

What, if any, are the misperceptions of the services of Child Care Connection?

Probably the greatest misperception is that we offer limited services to limited populations. In reality, we offer a number of services to people across the economic and education spectrum. Our resource library is used by people who have no other connection with our program because we have equipment and supplies that may be difficult to find in other locations.

How have child care needs in central Illinois changed in the last decade?

With the advent of Welfare to Work, the need for additional child care, child care at non-traditional times, and for varying schedules have been major changes. In the last few years, we've seen a slight pull back in mothers who return to the corporate job soon after the birth of a child. Or, the mother returns to work and finds working outside the home isn't consistent with what she wants for her child. Also, many families are finding alternate care arrangements and, therefore, limit the amount of time a child spends in care with a non-family member.

The Brain Research, which was information we've known about for a long time, caused a major change in the expectations parents had of their child care arrangement. It was as if we had just discovered the importance of talking, singing, and reading to babies. The market was flooded with "learning materials" to enhance brain development. A study completed in four of our most progressive states found only one in seven infants was in high-quality care, with four of seven in substandard care so poor it could harm the child's development. Such research caused the public and the profession to take a look at what we were doing with our youngest children.

The State of Illinois has legislated and funded programs to assist individuals with additional training and education, as well as a wage enhancement for those who meet and exceed established levels of education and who stay in their place of employment for six or more months. The realization that appropriate education for the adults and consistent care for the children are key in optimal development has helped in many ways.

The new center at the bus transfer station in downtown Peoria should provide parents who rely on public transportation a more accessible child care site. For years, we've discussed the fact that transportation and child care were the factors that kept parents from working. CityLink and the YWCA have addressed these issues.

What requirements are needed to become a licensed quality child care facility?

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has publications that explain all the requirements to become either a licensed home or a licensed center. It's important for people considering such a move to contact the department in their region and work closely with a licensing representative from the beginning of the process. If one wants to build a new center or remodel an existing building, IDCFS should be along every step of the way.

Is there a shortage of licensed spaces for children in the City of Peoria? If so, what are the reasons behind that?

Actually, the Illinois Facilities Fund conducted a needs assessment about 18 months ago that included the Peoria area. Their findings are that there isn't a shortage of licensed spaces in the city, but we don't have adequate Head Start and state funded pre-kindergarten spaces for the children who qualify. It's their plan to follow up with communities such as ours and to meet with community leaders to address this matter.

Over the past few years, a number of new buildings have been built, and some programs have expanded the number of children they can serve. The population in Peoria has been somewhat stagnant, which means parents have a number of options from which to choose.

What child care subsidies are available to lower income families? Middle income families?

The Child Care Assistance Program, funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services and administered through the local child care resource and referral offices (Child Care Connection, locally), is available to low-income parents who qualify. Parents who think they might qualify can phone the Child Care Connection at 679-0945 or (800) 301-3304 or e-mail cccsubsidy@icc.edu to get additional information. Income/ family size and service eligibility are the major criteria for determining eligibility.

In addition to the assistance program, some centers have scholarship programs and sliding fee scales. These could be helpful to a family that doesn't qualify for the Child Care Assistance Program. Parents who use the referral program can access such information from a parent advisor. There are also site-administered programs in the state that have requirements similar to the certificate program offered through our office. Sadly, there's little assistance available for middle income families and yet child care takes a huge chunk from their income. The federal government has recognized this, and parents can deduct child care (with limits) from their income tax, and some employers have a dependent care program that allows parents to shelter their child care dollars from income tax.

Is there a shortage of people entering the child care field? If so, why do you think this is?

There's a shortage of educationally qualified people entering the child care field, primarily because it's labor intensive and the pay is low. As previously mentioned, the State of Illinois has begun to address the pay issue through programs such as Great START and T.E.A.C.H. We have a long way to go. However, last year, for the first time, child care centers were permitted to apply for pre-kindergarten funds through the Illinois State Board of Education. When a center applies and qualifies, these dollars help address the wage issue. Receiving such funds also requires providing a higher level of care and education. Some Head Start Programs, also, have begun to collaborate with local child care centers. This is one way to address the costs involved in providing high quality care.

Several non-profit childcare centers have been forced to close, but others are being built. Why is this?

Common Place, for example, was originally a half-day program and didn't charge a fee. Later, a small fee was assessed the parents, and when they went to full-day, most of the children qualified for the Child Care Assistance Program, and the reimbursement wasn't adequate to cover the cost of the program. Competition from free programs (ISBE pre-kindergarten and Head Start) was fierce. Eventually, the program was closed, and the mission of Common Place was focused in different directions.

Many not-for-profit programs are operating far from capacity but have enough children to keep the doors open. A major part of their mission is caring for children and families, and through Child Care Assistance, parent fees, and Heart of Illinois United Way Funds, they're able to carry out that mission. The new programs are built close to downtown, addressing the needs of people who work there or who take a bus to work and go through the transit station to get to work. Because the population of the city hasn't changed, these programs will cause a shift in enrollment in other programs, but the total child care enrollment in our immediate area will remain pretty stable. This will present a challenge to both existing and new programs.

What's your greatest concern regarding child care in central Illinois?

My greatest concern is and always has been the quality of care and education the children receive. We know children who don't have adequate nurturing and care during the first three years of life have much greater difficulty in school and later in life. It's said that for every $1 we spend providing high-quality early childhood programming, we save $7 prior to the child's reaching adulthood. All development is interrelated. Language is essential for literacy. Social-emotional skills are necessary for behavior and relationships. Physical activity is important for growth and to enhance brain development. Music plays a role in cognitive development. Creativity is rooted in the early childhood years. Problem-solving and higher level thinking skills develop when adults ask the right questions, read books to children, and involve the child in carrying out simple and complex tasks. As we're attempting to prepare our children to work in the world of technology, it's imperative that we provide them with the best environment to develop fully.

You were a District 150 School Board member for 10 years. In your opinion, what's the greatest need of District 150 today?

Some of the needs are rooted in the response to the previous question. Student achievement is the key to a successful personal life and for our economy to flourish. We must put into place strategies or interventions that'll reach all our students. By recognizing the importance of the early years, we've made a start. However, we have hundreds of students achieving at or below local assessment standards. It's of vital importance that we identify the needs of those students and do our best to meet those needs. One of the strategies of the Strategic Plan adopted about a year ago is to "involve the community in our schools and our schools in the community." The school district can't do this job in isolation. We have more agencies involved in our schools today than ever before, yet additional help is needed. Volunteers are essential to a successful school district. Helping students understand the relevancy of the subject matter is one of the strategies that must be put into place. When students see the "why" of something, they're much more likely to learn and remember the information.

In your opinion, what's the greatest challenge facing District 150 today?

The challenges facing the Peoria Public Schools are great; selecting one is difficult. Fiscal responsibility and student achievement continue to be major issues and are so closely allied that they are, together, the biggest challenge facing the district. Selecting a new superintendent who can and will address the budget, while keeping in mind the needs of the students, will be key to the future of the success of the school district.

With your District 150 board experience, what would you suggest as possible solutions?

The solutions will rest with the new superintendent and the board, who must work together for the benefit of our students and employees. During the past two years, the animosity between some board members and the administration took center stage in the community, while many initiatives were quietly put into place that might have made a difference in the outcomes in our schools. The first thing that must happen is for individual board members to commit to working together and with the administration to address some of our schools that are in critical condition. What we know is what we had been doing in the 1990s wasn't working with a large number of our students. Just a few of the ideas or solutions that might be considered: school reorganization, increased presence of social service agencies, mentors for both students and new faculty, ways to appreciate the rich diversity present in our community and schools, community and parental involvement, and increased funding either from the state or from a referendum. The buildings are old and expensive to heat, and cooling isn't an option. The Strategic Plan developed by the community and adopted in principle by the board provides a roadmap for the future. It just needs to be unfolded and read.

District 150 has had some negative publicity the past few months. Where do you see District 150 in the next year? Five years?

The next year will be spent with interim superintendents and maybe a new full-time administrator in the spring. It's unlikely the new person will be in place prior to July 1, as that's when superintendent contracts usually end and they can take on new challenges. It appears that initiatives begun in the past two years are being reconsidered and perhaps dismantled before they've had time to work. In fact, third grade test scores in the city are up over previous years. It's important that the district continue those ideas and innovations that are working so all our schools will soon be off the watch list.

In five years, there's the likelihood of four new board members. Therefore, it becomes vital that the board and new administration develop action steps to implement the Strategic Plan adopted last year. When there's a plan, board and administrative changes can occur, and life in the schools will continue. Hopefully, in five years, we'll see the plan totally implemented and the annual revisiting of the plan a reality. Reorganizing of the schools in a configuration that allows small class sizes and the perception of small schools will be considered. What if, in five years, we returned to neighborhood schools and had four comprehensive high schools? What if, because of those changes, we saw an increase to 16,000 students? What if we saw the governmental agencies enter into agreements saving dollars for all and benefiting our children and the taxpayers? What if?

Today, there are "scholastic" programs for children as young as two. Is this a positive trend for the emotional and social needs of children?

Programs that meet the child's individual needs, physically and cognitively, will enhance the child's development. The important thing to remember is when a child is chronologically two years old, he or she may be functioning as an 18-month-old or a three-year-old. Teachers and parents knowledgeable about normal development and who are aware of individual differences can provide activities appropriate for children. If a child is having difficulty adjusting to the program or is showing stress in other ways, adults need to step back to see whether what they're doing with the child is in that child's best interests. Some children adjust well to group settings, while others don't. Parents need to consider their child when making a child care selection.

Who's taking care of children of working parents? As a prior District 150 Board member, should the schools be providing that care?

At the present time, we've extended a variety of day programs in most-if not all-of our primary schools and many of our middle schools. The Twenty-First Century Grant provided funds to operate many of these programs, and this is the third year of a three-year grant. I know the administration is looking for ways to continue the programming, but without the federal grant, there are no guarantees. In addition, area child care providers offer before and after school programs at our other schools. Some children are bused to their child care providers. I fear too many children are going home alone or with a sibling who isn't of an appropriate age for child care. A family's financial status may account for this. In an ideal world, one in which a society valued its children (and therefore its future) above all else, there would be programs in every school-even high schools, so students could enhance their academic work, take part in extra-curricular activities, or hang out with supervision. Older children could assist with the younger ones. Or students could identify a research problem and work in teams to solve it. The opportunities would be limitless. Sadly, this isn't an ideal world for children.

For the last several decades, many mothers have chosen to continue building their careers after the birth of children. From your viewpoint, do you see this trend reversing lately?

I don't have statistics in this regard, but the literature indicates that many two-career couples are putting one career on hold while one of them stays home with the children. Although this is most often the mother, there are men in our community who have decided to be "Mr. Mom." Through our work at the Child Care Connection, we've had parents who phoned for child care referrals, found what they thought was a satisfactory setting, worked briefly, and then realized they wanted to be the person to experience those "firsts" with their children.

What are you most proud of in your career?

Having always been a working mother, even when we were told our children would somehow be negatively impacted, I take a great deal of pride in our children and their families. Instilling a sense of family in our kids has brought us much satisfaction.

Professionally, I'm proud and honored to have played a leadership role both locally and statewide in the developing system of early childhood care and education. A number of those I've mentored have taken leadership roles both in the community and statewide. During my school board tenure, I had the opportunity to observe many former students making a difference in the lives of their students. Ultimately, that's what it's all about: making a difference. TPW