Illinois e-News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                             CONTACT:

January 24, 2023                                                                                Lauren Grenlund

                                                                                                            [email protected]

Springfield – The Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) today announced the recipients of the Early Childhood Construction Grant (ECCG) program. Governor Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois capital plan has allocated nearly $60 million in available funding for early childhood centers.

The grant opportunity was available to nonprofit early childhood providers and public-school districts seeking to increase their capacity to provide care or educational opportunities for children in underserved communities. The funding provides support for the construction, expansion, or renovation of their facilities, not to exceed $10 million per project.

“Rebuild Illinois is all about building a brighter, more prosperous future for generations to come—and that means investing in our youngest Illinoisans,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “From Peoria to Kankakee to Chicago, we are dispersing millions through our Early Childhood Construction Grant program to make sure that underserved children get the care they need and deserve. This isn’t just an investment in our children—it’s an investment in our families, our childcare workers, our communities, and our economic development.”

The Capital Development Board received 238 applicants for the Early Childhood Construction Grant from counties across the State. More than 59% of applicants were based in the Chicagoland area. Applications were reviewed on a competitive basis and evaluated on need, sustainability, and budget and project readiness. Through the merit-based review process that concluded this month, eight providers were selected for provisional awards. Priority was given to applicants furthest from adequacy and in-district areas that had the greatest need for serving low-income families.

The Early Childhood Construction Grant recipients include:

• Hometown School District #123                                                  Oak Lawn, Illinois

• Kankakee School District #111                                                    Kankakee, Illinois

• Chicago Commons Association                                                  Chicago, Illinois

• LaSalle Elementary School District #122                                    LaSalle, Illinois

• Valley View Public Schools Community District #395-U             Bolingbrook, Illinois

• Harlem Community Center                                                         Machesney Park, Illinois

• Round Lake Area Schools                                                          Round Lake, Illinois

• UnityPoint Health- Methodist                                                      Peoria, Illinois

Governor Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan provides essential funding to support the revitalization and improvement of Illinois roadways, state facilities, universities, bridges, and railways over a six-year period. The initiative seeks to address critical infrastructure and economic opportunity.