EC-FAQ-Behavior-Transition-Plan - Frequently Asked Questions - Behavior Support and Program Transition Plans

Sep 23, 2026

Illinois State Board of Education Early Childhood Department provides frequently asked questions addressing ECBG Behavior Support Plans and ECBG Program Transition Plans. Guidance covers which preschool programs must maintain written policies, the purpose and definition of challenging behavior, and when a plan should be initiated. It specifies who participates in creating plans, what information is legally required, how temporary removal should be handled, and what constitutes a transition plan, including when it should be used and required prerequisites before transition.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Frequently Asked Questions: Behavior Support and Program Transition Plans

ECBG Behavior Support Plan

Program eligibility and purpose

Definition of challenging behavior

When to initiate

Who should be involved

Legally required information

Temporary removal

ECBG Program Transition Plan

Definition and intent

When to initiate

Illinois State Board of Education Early Childhood Department FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: BEHAVIOR SUPPORT and PROGRAM TRANSITION PLANS In accordance with: 23 ILLINOIS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE Part 235 and ILLINOIS PUBLIC ACT 100-0105 EARLY CHILDHOOD BLOCK GRANT BEHAVIOR SUPPORT PLAN What Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG) programs need to have written guidance policies and procedures regarding Behavior Support Plans? ECBG-funded Preschool For All, Preschool For All Expansion and Prevention Initiative (Center-Based ONLY) programs need to have written guidance policies and procedures regarding Behavior Support Plans. What is the purpose of an ECBG Behavior Support Plan? An ECBG Behavior Support Plan is an action plan created to address a child’s challenging behavior. The plan, which is completed using data gathered through observations and interactions, includes action steps, resources, and strategies for meeting the child’s social and emotional needs and supporting positive behaviors. The plan must be culturally and linguistically appropriate and should reflect the child’s individual needs, experiences, and abilities. It should identify the specific strategies and resources that will be utilized to prevent and reduce the child’s challenging behaviors. This includes modifications to the program, classroom environment, and teaching practices to address serious and repeated patterns of challenging behavior. What is challenging behavior? Challenging behavior refers to any serious and repeated pattern of behavior, or perception of behavior, that interferes with a child's ability to engage in developmentally appropriate self-regulation, and cognitive and prosocial engagement with peers and/or adults. When is it appropriate to initiate an ECBG Behavior Support Plan? Programs must have a written guidance policy based on sound, research-based practices that identifies how appropriate behavior is encouraged, what guidance strategies are utilized, and what interventions are used to address challenging behavior. This policy must be shared with families/guardians upon enrollment. Additionally, the use of a social-emotional curriculum to promote positive behavior is highly recommended. An ECBG Behavior Support Plan must be initiated when a child engages in serious, repeated, and ongoing patterns of challenging behavior that do not respond positively to the strategies identified in the program’s guidance policy. Serious challenging behavior refers to behavior that prevents the child or others from being able to learn or causes harm to self and/or others. A program that utilizes the Pyramid Model would create an ECBG Behavior Support Plan for children who require Tier 3-level supports. Who should be involved in the process of creating an ECBG Behavior Support Plan? A multi-disciplinary team must work collaboratively on creating, implementing, and assessing progress on the plan. The team might include teachers, teacher assistants, child care providers, parents/guardians, early childhood administrators/directors, social workers, mental health/behavior specialists, speech therapists, and others who work directly with or have knowledge of the child and have knowledge of child development, trauma-informed practices, and positive behavior management. What information is legally required in the ECBG Behavior Support Plan? The plan must include: • Written guidance and intervention policies; parents/guardians notified upon enrollment. • Initial and ongoing behavior documented with observations, notes, and dates. • Ongoing communication with parents/guardians, in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner, documented with notes and dates. • Ongoing program efforts to improve capacity for dealing with challenging behaviors and improving teacher-child interactions (technical support, training, professional development, community resources) . • Strategies to be implemented to prevent challenging behaviors an

FAQs

Which ECBG programs must have written policies and procedures for Behavior Support Plans?

ECBG-funded Preschool For All, Preschool For All Expansion, and Prevention Initiative (Center-Based ONLY) programs need written guidance policies and procedures regarding Behavior Support Plans.

What is the purpose of an ECBG Behavior Support Plan?

It is an action plan created to address a child’s challenging behavior using data from observations and interactions, including culturally and linguistically appropriate strategies, resources, and steps to prevent and reduce challenging behaviors.

When should an ECBG Program Transition Plan be initiated?

A Program Transition Plan should be rarely used, and an ECBG Behavior Support Plan must be fully implemented before initiating the transition plan in almost all cases.

Sep 23, 2026

Upload by Anna Hans