Illinois General Assembly Approves State Budget and Several Measures Impacting Early Care and Education

The Illinois General Assembly has approved the fiscal year 2024 (FY24) budget (SB250) which contains nearly $300 million in new investments for child care, preschool, home visiting, Early Intervention and inclusion supports for preschoolers with disabilities and developmental delays. With these dollars, more families will gain the access they need to critical early learning programs, and many in the early childhood workforce will see long-overdue increases in pay.

Legislators also passed the following measures:

HB3817, the FY24 budget implementation bill, which makes permanent the current income eligibility threshold (225% of FPL) for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and establishes in law parts of the governor’s Smart Start Illinois plan
SB1794, establishes the existing IDHS home visiting programs into law
SB2390, among other changes to address teacher vacancies in the state, extends for five years the current staffing flexibility that allows early childhood educators with a Level 5 from Gateways to Opportunity to teach in a Preschool For All classroom provided they are working to secure their teaching license
HB2396, requires each school board to establish a developmentally appropriate full-day kindergarten program by the 2027-2028 school year

We expect the Governor to sign and approve the final budget package and several legislative measures soon.

Read our full response to the approved FY24 budget.

Still Time To Submit Proposals For ISBE FY 2024 Early Childhood Block Grant RFP

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has released it’s Fiscal Year 2024 Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Early Childhood Block Grant:

Proposals are due on June 14, 2023 no later than 4 p.m. CT.

This application is open to a wide range of programs with experience providing educational, health, social and/or child development services to young children and their families. Family Child Care homes are eligible to apply in joint applications with an administrative agent from a Local Education Agency (LEA) or another applicant.

Questions should be emailed to [email protected].

Thank you for your advocacy!

Celebrating Spring 2023 Legislative Session Wins

We applaud the General Assembly for approving an FY24 state budget that aligns with Governor Pritzker's Smart Start Illinois initiative, and we know that this success is due in large part to the diligent efforts of advocates like you!

Throughout the legislative session, parents, educators and advocates contacted state legislators thousands of times on behalf of Illinois families and those who serve them. Thank you for your dedication to our state's children!

We encourage you to take a moment to reach back out to your elected officials to thank them for prioritizing the early childhood programs and services that set our youngest learners up for health and success in school and life.

New Investments Aim To Strengthen Supports for Preschoolers With Disabilities And Developmental Delays

Under the leadership of Early CHOICES, an Inclusion Initiative of the Illinois State Board of Education, and with support from Start Early, a new project to transform how preschoolers with developmental delays and disabilities are supported across early learning settings launched this Spring. On April 28th, more than 300 early learning constituents kicked-off the Advancing Inclusion and Supporting Early Childhood Special Education in Community-based Settings Project, which is convening local planning teams of school district and community-based early learning partners to vet and refine the service delivery models and policy changes needed to improve how preschoolers with disabilities and developmental delays are supported across all early learning settings.

This local and state systems planning work is accompanied by a significant legislative win – the final FY24 state budget approved by the General Assembly included $5 million in brand-new funding at ISBE to support inclusion in schools and community-based early childhood settings for preschoolers with disabilities and developmental delays. Implementation for this funding and related policy changes will require the participation of school districts, Head Start, community-based child care, families and other early learning partners, who are all invited to join the project’s advisory team, led by Early CHOICES. Learn more and join the effort.

You're Invited!

Raising Our Voices: Community Conversations For Illinois' Youngest

This spring, Raising Illinois has been hosting Community Conversations across the state with the goals of uplifting the true needs of individual communities and supporting local stakeholders in advocating for infants, toddlers, and expecting families. This Thursday, June 8 from 12-1 p.m. CT , we’ll be discussing the biggest takeaways from the Conversations that have been held so far and sharing resources for folks to hold their own Conversations in their communities. There’s still time to register, we hope you’ll join us!

Start Early advances quality early learning for families with children, before birth through their earliest years, to close the opportunity gap.

33 West Monroe Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60603 • 312.922.3863

Manage Subscription Preferences | Unsubscribe
This link will update subscription preferences for [email protected].