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It’s May, which means the Illinois General Assembly is busy building and finalizing the state’s Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) budget. We have just two weeks left to make sure Smart Start Illinois is featured in the final funding package approved by the legislature.
As a reminder, Governor Pritzker’s Smart Start Illinois proposal includes significant funding increases for preschool, child care, home visiting, and Early Intervention. These monies are needed to stabilize our sector and build the future early childhood system we need to provide all young children and families in Illinois with high-quality early experiences.
The FY24 early childhood appropriations proposed by Governor Pritzker and supported by Start Early and our early learning partners include:
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$200 million increase for the child care system, which includes new workforce compensation grants for providers and funding to support the growing CCAP caseload
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$75 million increase for the Early Childhood Block Grant, which includes funding for existing and new 0-3 and preschool grantees
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$40 million increase for the Early Intervention program, which includes a provider rate increase and funding to support the growing caseload
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$5 million increase for IDHS-funded evidence-based home visiting programs
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$100 million in funding to CDB for the Early Childhood Construction Grant (ECCG) program
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How can you help make Smart Start Illinois a reality? Send a note to your state representative and senator today. It’s the best way, in under a minute, to improve the lives of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers across the state.
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