Illinois Gateways Credential Training

Illinois Gateways Credential Approved Training

All Care Courses are accepted for renewing IL Gateways to Opportunity credentials. The topics of the course used for credential renewal must be related to the specific credential. For example, to renew your ECE Credential, choose courses related to young children birth through age eight. Check out all of the credential renewal steps on Gateways' website. 

The courses below are approved by Illinois Gateways towards applying for specific Illinois Gateways credentials. These courses are also approved for use towards increasing your credential level. Each course is approved for the specific credential and aligns with the specific Gateways credential competencies listed below. 

Early Childhood Education (ECE) Credential:

• Challenging Behavior: Positive Guidance in Child Care (6 hours) is approved for the IL Gateways ECE Credential and aligned with IRE2: Integrations, Relationships, and Environments.
• Nutrition in Early Childhood: Shaping a Healthy Future (6 hours) is approved for the IL Gateways ECE Credential and aligned with HSW2: Maintains a Safe and Healthy Environment.
• Transitions and Other Troublesome Times (6 hours)  is approved for the IL Gateways ECE Credential and aligned with IRE3: Identifies factors that contribute to positive interactions with the environment.
• Understanding Each Other: Communicating with Families, Staff, and Your Community (9 hours)  is approved for the IL Gateways ECE Credential and aligned with PPD4: Utilizes effective, ethical, culturally competent communication and collaboration skills when interacting with children, families, and colleagues and as a member of early childhood teams.
• Observing, Recording, and Assessing Children's Development (10 hours)  is approved for the IL Gateways ECE Credential and aligned with OA1: Describes a variety of valid assessment procedures, screening tools, and observation methods and their role in supporting children’s development and learning and in informing the instructional process.
• Child Development and Guidance (20 hours) is approved for the IL Gateways ECE Credential and aligned with the below competencies:
• HGD1: Identifies and describes theories of typical and atypical growth in all developmental domains and the interaction between individual and contextual factors on development and learning
• IRE2: Articulates the importance of relationships in supporting positive developmental and behavioral outcomes
• IRE3: Identifies factors that contribute to positive interactions with the environment


• Nurturing Children’s Self-Esteem (20 hours) is approved for the IL Gateways ECE Credential and aligned with the below competencies:
• IRE1: Describes the role of the environment in supporting children’s development
• IRE2: Articulates the importance of relationships in supporting positive developmental and behavioral outcomes
• IRE3: Identifies factors that contribute to positive interactions with the environment

Learn how to obtain your ECE credential and increase your credential level on IL Gateways' credential website.