The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has released its Fiscal Year 2025 Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Early Childhood Block Grant:
Interested applicants should ensure that they have submitted Notice of Intent to Apply to access the electronic ISBE IWAS system.
ISBE will not award new Prevention Initiative home visiting seats in FY 2025. The home visiting portion of the PI set aside will be used to align the ISBE home visiting program salaries with the Illinois Department of Human Services home visiting base salary requirement. Current PI home visiting grantees do not need to apply for this RFP to maintain funding. We applaud ISBE for using this funding opportunity to advance a number of innovative approaches to strengthen the field and respond to the needs of families and providers. 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. Licensed
Family Child Care providers are eligible to apply in joint applications with an administrative agent from a Local Education Agency (LEA) or another eligible applicant.
The FY 2025 Early Childhood Block Grant RFP is only for new grantees or current grantees that are wishing to add new slots (serve more children). Applicants who do not wish to apply for additional slots do not need to apply under this RFP. Additionally, Prevention Initiative awards for FY25 are only available for center-based services, not home visiting programs.
A separate appropriation has been awarded to City of Chicago District 299. Applicants proposing to provide services for children and families within the Chicago city limits must apply for funds through the Chicago Public Schools office of Early Childhood Education. | 
