The Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map (IECAM) provides information on existing services, the demographics of young children and their families, and state resources that serve young children.
Focus of IECAM
IECAM provides a quick snapshot of where children birth through age 5 live and the capacity of services available to them. IECAM also presents demographic data, including population, poverty level, linguistic isolation, and employment characteristics of families with children.
IECAM provides data on services on an annual schedule so the data can be of maximum usefulness to local and state agencies planning for current and future services. IECAM aims to present its data as conveniently and concisely as possible.
IECAM gives users several options to view data from a wide range of data sources (e.g., U.S. Census, Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Department of Public Health), including tabular data from a searchable online database and interactive maps at multiple geographic levels (e.g., counties, legislative districts, school districts).
Periodically, IECAM will respond to data inquiries. IECAM also puts data into context with various levels of analysis, ranging from a broader view (Spotlight on Stats) to more detailed reports (Technical Reports). Data Reports provide explanations of data sources, data types, and the advantages and limitations of using different types of data.
Mission of IECAM
The Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map (IECAM) is intended
- to assist policy makers and legislators in allocating resources for early care and education programs,
- to make public resource allocation transparent by showing the changes in funding of services from year to year, and
- to provide a one-stop source for early learning and demographic data.
Funding
Developed in 2006, IECAM is currently funded by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS).
