Geographic Region: Birth to Five Illinois/ISBE Regions

Difference from ISBE region maps: Although ROEs are often thought of as groupings of counties, the regional offices actually serve a group of school districts that don’t adhere to county borders. For example, Kane County, which is generally considered as having its own ROE, is actually served by five different regional offices.

In September 2024, IECAM stopped providing data by ISBE regions because, essentially, ISBE regions are the same as Birth to Five Illinois regions.

The 35 ROEs are overseen by regional superintendents, who are locally elected officials serving four-year terms. The three ISCs are each governed by an 11-member board that hires an executive director who has the same powers and responsibilities as a regional superintendent. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) serves as the ROE for Chicago Public Schools.

There are 39 Birth to Five Illinois regions throughout the state, and each region has its own Family Council and Action Council. Birth to Five Illinois is funded by ISBE in collaboration with IDHS.

Site-based data (e.g., PFA, child care) and demographic data (e.g., population) are presented by Birth to Five regions on Regional Reports and on the IECAM database for years 2018 and after. Nonsite-based data (e.g., early intervention, home visiting) are not available by Birth to Five regions except for Area I-A (Chicago).