Mission

In 2025, ICOY staff & board members and embarked on a journey of self-reflection to define ICOY and establish a new Strategic Plan. Listed below are some of the agreed-upon tenets and conclusions of that plan.

Mission Statement: ICOY champions the safety, well-being, and success of all Illinois’ children, youth, and families by connecting and strengthening the organizations that serve them and by being a collective voice for policy and practice.

Big-Picture Vision Statement: We envision a just and equitable Illinois that values and invests in ensuring that all children, youth, and families are healthy, thriving, and inter-generationally successful.

Core Belief Statement: ICOY believes that children, youth, and families have the right to have their basic needs met and the opportunities and resources they need to succeed, and that Illinois only succeeds when all of its children, youth, and families thrive.

Additionally, ICOY has established a framework that centers our 5 Core Values to inform the work we do in these uncertain times: