Health, Safety & Well-Being: Illinois ECE Competency - post

Introduction

Health, Safety & Well-Being (HSW) is one of the most important competency areas in the Illinois ECE Credential system. It ensures that #educators can create #healthy environments, prevent injury, design safe routines, and promote habits that support long-term physical and emotional well-being.

Illinois requires ALL early educators to meet HSW competencies at Levels 1–6. In this article, we break down the HSW expectations and highlight the ChildCareEd Gateways-approved courses that help educators meet them.

What Is the Health, Safety & Well-Being (HSW) Competency?

HSW encompasses:

• Knowledge of safety standards
• Health and sanitation practices
• Injury prevention
• Nutrition and wellness
• Safe environments indoors and outdoors
• Emergency preparedness

This ECE Competency Area is broken into eight competencies (HSW1–HSW8), moving from basic safety to policy-level design.

Illinois ECE Credential Competencies in HSW

HSW1:

Identify components of a safe and healthy environment.

HSW2:

Maintain daily safety routines, identify hazards, manage health needs.

HSW3:

Create #safe-environments through intentional planning.

HSW4:

Conduct safety assessments and hazard analyses.

HSW5:

Design and implement learning experiences about #health-and-safety.

Advanced competencies (HSW6–8) address:

• Collaboration with families
• Program-level #health-and safety policy development
• Systems-level safety planning

ChildCareEd Trainings Aligned With HSW Competencies

HSW1 — Safe and Sound: Creating Healthy Environments for Every Child

• Introduces #safe-environments
• Covers hygiene, sanitation, hazard awareness

HSW2 — Healthy Starts: Safety, Nutrition & Wellness in Child Care

• Daily safety routines
• Nutrition guidance
• Health conditions

HSW3 — Everyday Safety: Creating Healthy Environments

• Classroom-level safety planning
• Daily hazard prevention

HSW4 — Creating Safe & Healthy Child Care Environments

• Conducting assessments
• Adjusting environments to reduce risks

HSW5 — Wellness in Action: Teaching Healthy Habits to Children

• Nutrition, self-care, and safety lessons
• Family #engagement strategies

Why HSW Matters for Quality Child Care

1. Meets DCFS Licensing Requirements

Illinois licensing standards require #safe-sleep, sanitation, allergy management, supervision, and #emergency planning.

2. Reduces Child Injuries

Understanding #developmental risks helps prevent common accidents.

3. Supports Inclusion

HSW competencies include supporting children with allergies, health conditions, and disabilities.

4. Improves ExceleRate® Ratings

HSW directly impacts program quality indicators.

5. Promotes Life-Long Wellness

Creating healthy habits early supports better outcomes across the lifespan.

Why ChildCareEd

The Early Childhood Education (ECE) Credential is awarded through the Illinois Gateways to Opportunity Registry and recognized by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS).

ChildCareEd offers Gateways-approved trainings that align with ECE Credential Competencies for Levels 2–6. Each course is online, self-paced, and 6 hours long.

✅ State-approved alignment for every ECE Competency
✅ 6-hour online, self-paced format
✅ Gateways credit toward your ECE Credential
✅ Convenient, affordable, and flexible