In order to better serve Illinois individuals and schools, human service organizations must pursue collaboration among and within state agencies, community organizations and resources, and families. Families have the primary responsibility for raising their children, but economic and social factors make it increasingly harder for families to do this alone. In this context, Illinois human service agencies must support the efforts of families by, for example: (1) increasing the coordination of state-funded programs which provide subsidized early child care; (2) making Head Start and state kindergarten programs available to all eligible children; and (3) lessening the risk of abuse, neglect, and family disintegration by lowering the rate of teenage pregnancies. Collaboration among human service agencies entails shifting control of programs away from the state to the local level. At the state level, a new policy-making body called "The Office of Children, Youth, and Families" could coordinate planning for services and establish quality guidelines. This office could then work with community coordinating councils who have the authority to establish common goals; pool and manage resources; engage in joint planning, implementation, and evaluation; and delegate individual responsibilities for specified outcomes. State and local and inter-agency partnerships should be mandated. An appendix describing initiatives currently underway in Illinois is included. (JW)