In 2025, the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Division of Early Childhood launched the Smart Start Workforce Grants to increase wages for early educators and child care providers. Through Smart Start Workforce Grants, licensed center- and home-based early learning programs can receive funds to invest in personnel. The grants are part of Governor JB Pritzker’s five-year Smart Start Illinois plan, which began in 2023.
Smart Start Workforce Grants give participating programs quarterly funding in advance—either $6,000 and $6,750, depending on the age of children the programs serve. Home-based providers are eligible for a base award of $2,250, and additional funding if they have an assistant. Participating programs are required to pay teachers, assistant teachers, and school staff at or above a wage floor, which ranges from $17.00 to $19.25 per hour, depending on the region. The National Women’s Law Center estimates that these changes result in a wage increase of about $2 to $4 per hour, on average.
To receive a grant, programs must be licensed and must offer at least eight consecutive hours of care per day, five days a week, 47 weeks per year.
The grants are funded by state general funds. For FY 2025, the Illinois General Assembly allocated $158.5 million to the Illinois Department of Human Services to fund both the Smart Start Workforce Grants and the Child Care Assistance Program.
Sources:
Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Early Childhood. (n.d.). Smart Start Workforce Grants.
Mondragón, M. (2024). A Pathway to Parity in Illinois. Start Early.
Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Early Childhood. (2024). Smart Start Workforce Grant Community Engagement Report.
Erikson Institute. (2024). General Assembly Passes Budget and Bills to Support Early Care and Education.
Oppermann, H. (2024). Five Lessons from Illinois’ Investment in the Child Care Workforce. National Women’s Law Center.
Connections to Key Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) Findings:
The early education workforce is the foundation upon which all daily work and any expansion and quality improvement efforts rest. Research suggests that states and cities should invest in the workforce across all early education setting types, focusing on enhancing educators’ professional learning, compensation, and workplace conditions.
Findings from the Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) show:
- Early educators play a critical role in supporting the well-being of young children and families across setting types.
- Yet their pay, benefits, and other professional supports are often inadequate in light of the job demands and their cost of living.