The ECACE Effect
Explore what ECACE is doing to empower the early childhood workforce across Illinois and take the next step toward making your mark in early childhood education!
Learn More
Higher Education Navigators
Are you working in the early childhood field and thinking about going back to school? Connect with your local ECACE Higher Education Navigator to get one-on-one support!
Early Childhood Access
Consortium for Equity
Early Childhood Access
Consortium for Equity
The Vision: Create a consortium to streamline, coordinate, and improve accessibility of degree completion pathways for incumbent early childhood workforce and employers.
Welcome to the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE)
The Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) is a statewide partnership designed to support Illinois’ early childhood workforce as they pursue degrees, credentials, and career advancement. ECACE removes barriers by recognizing prior learning, simplifying transfer pathways, and providing scholarships, mentors, and navigators to help students thrive.
Through coordinated support and access to coursework across member institutions, ECACE empowers educators to continue serving young children while completing their education. Our mission is to create flexible, equitable, and affordable pathways for professional growth.
Support for
Students
ECACE offers scholarships, tuition assistance, mentors, and navigators to ensure students have
the support needed to enroll, persist, and complete early childhood degrees. Cross‑institutional
course access gives students flexibility to take the classes they need, when they need them.
Information for Institutions
Participating colleges and universities play a vital role in aligning competencies, improving transfer pathways, developing prior learning assessments, and building student‑centered systems. ECACE provides institutional resources to strengthen advising, expand program delivery, and support equity‑driven strategies across the state.