The Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children (ILAEYC) is a membership organization whose mission is to facilitate the optimal development of all young children, their families, and their communities in Illinois by educating, supporting, and collaborating with individuals and organizations working in direct or indirect service to young children, advocating for the rights, needs, and well-being of young children and their families, and advocating for the rights, needs, and well-being of the early childhood workforce. The ILAEYC Board of Directors is charged with ensuring this purpose is achieved through equitable policies, procedures, and programs that fulfill two goals: first, to educate and support those in direct and indirect service to young children in order to improve the quality of life for young children and their families by creating a caring, equitable community of learners, supporting the professional growth of those in the early childhood field, supporting the efforts of chapters to educate and support early childhood service providers and families with children prenatal to age eight, and collaborating with other organizations; and second, to impact public policy and practice to improve the lives of young children and their families by strengthening chapter advocacy efforts, increasing public and family awareness about high-quality equitable early childhood programs and services, seeking the support of policymakers who create and implement public policy affecting young children and their families, providing information about current and proposed policy, legislation, and practice to members, policymakers, and the general public, collaborating with other organizations in joint efforts to positively impact public policy, and intentionally progressing toward becoming a high-performing inclusive organization.