Illinois

Established in 2009 and renewed in 2019, the Illinois Early Childhood Construction Grant (ECCG) Program is a state-sponsored initiative to invest in quality early childhood education facilities. In July 2022, Governor J.B. Pritzker committed $60 million in capital grants for early education providers through this program. The funding supports the construction, expansion, and renovation of facilities for early learning for children from birth to age five. Centers that plan to increase their capacity to provide care and education for children in underserved communities are eligible for up to $10 million under the Early Childhood Construction Grant. The centers must contribute from 3% to 10% of the cost. The ECCG Program is administered by the Capital Development Board (CDB), an independent state agency that oversees construction of state facilities and other public purpose capital projects. Grant funds must be used for non-recurring durable improvements, such as adding onto an existing building, new construction of a facility or renovations to an existing facility to create a new early childhood center, acquisition of a facility, purchase or replacement of equipment, safety improvements, and classroom conversions.

Sources:

IFF. (2022). Frequently Asked Questions: Illinois Early Childhood Construction Grant Program.
Illinois Capital Development Board. (2022). Governor Pritzker Announces $60 Million Competitive Grant Program for Early Childhood Construction in Illinois.

In 2022, the Northern Illinois University Research & Data Collaborative launched the Chicago Early Childhood Integrated Data System(CECIDS), which is governed by the City of Chicago. The system functions as a cloud-based data hub and data visualization tool for demographic, program, and individual data related to 52 specific early childhood questions and use cases. CECIDS is governed by multiple agencies and organizations (e.g., City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, Chicago Public Schools, and Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, and others) and shares state and city data across multiple stakeholders (e.g., City of Chicago: Mayor’s Office, Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development, Illinois Action for Children, Illinois Department of Human Services, Illinois State Board of Education, and others) for public use. CECIDS hosts a data dashboard and data visualization tool with demographic and program eligibility and services data.

The system is funded by philanthropic donations, the City of Chicago, and the State of Illinois.

Launched in March 2020 as part of Illinois' broader ExceleRate Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), the 3-year ExceleRate Pilot Project sought to test new approaches to quality improvement, including a "compensation first" strategy for promoting retention and enhancing program quality. 38 programs participated in the pilot project; all programs were in rural counties and served a relatively high proportion of subsidy-eligible children (at least 40%). Participating programs were required and supported to pay a minimum baseline salary according to a salary scale based on educators' and directors' educational attainment and role.

In FY2022, minimum compensation ranged from $12.25 per hour (for a teacher assistant with no credential) to $20.50 per hour (for an employee with a Level III Illinois Director Credential).

This pilot was implemented through a partnership between the Illinois Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development and the Illinois Department of Human Services using federal Preschool Development Grant Birth-Five dollars. It will continue in the future under the "Smart Start Quality Support Program (SSQS)" name.

Sources:

ExceleRate Illinois. (n.d.). Pilot Project.

ExceleRate Illinois. (2022). FY22 Salary Scale.

In 2018, through a partnership between the Mayor’s Office, City Colleges of Chicago (CCC), Harry S. Truman College, Chicago Public Schools (CPS), and the Department of Family & Support Services (DFSS), Chicago created the Chicago Early Learning Workforce Scholarship (CELWS) initiative. CELWS empowers the early learning workforce to take courses and earn a credential, degree, endorsement or licensure to work with young children (birth through pre-K) and families in Chicago programs. The scholarship covers 100% of tuition, plus up to $250 in books per course, but it functions as a “last dollar” scholarship in that it covers everything that students’ federal grants and other scholarships do not. The scholarship is open to any Chicago resident who wants to enter the early childhood workforce. Parents of children enrolled in a Chicago program and recent high-school graduates are encouraged to apply, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients are eligible. CELWS recipients must commit to working in a Chicago early learning program (including CPS Pre-K and Head Start/Early Head Start/PFA/PI funded community-based programs) for a minimum of three years after completing the degree or approved academic program.

Source:

Chicago Early Learning. (n.d.). Workforce Scholarship.

In 2014, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the City of Chicago partnered with the Goldman Sachs Social Impact Fund, the Northern Trust Company, and the J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation to launch the Chicago Child-Parent Center Pay for Success Initiative funded by a Pay-for-Success contract. The contract allowed the City to expand high-quality pre-K services to more than 2,600 low-income 4-year-olds across eight schools. The funding partners provided nearly $17 million in upfront capital and included a 4-year service delivery term, and a 17-year evaluation and repayment term. In a pay-for-success model, lenders provide the upfront capital necessary to operate a program that produces long term avoided costs to the government. The government then uses those savings to repay the lenders.

Created in 2009, the Illinois State Board of Education’s Longitudinal Data System is a P-20 longitudinal data systemthat includes data on state-funded pre-K, special education early childhood programs, and infant and toddler programs. The system functions as a warehouse and linking mechanism across state agencies, including the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development. The system links program and individual data ranging from early childhood education and care to K-12/higher education to the workforce. The individual data is deidentified with a unique identifier. Data is available internally for agencies and authorized users.

The Illinois Longitudinal Data System was created through Public Act 096-0107. The system has been funded by a federal Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems Grant and the Statewide Longitudinal Data System Recovery Act Grant, which authorized the expansion of infant and toddler data collection.

Sources:
State of Illinois (2014). Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge 2014 Annual Performance Report
Education Commission of the States. (2021). Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems: Illinois.
REL Blog (2018). Building a coordinated data system to support early childhood education

In 2006, Illinois launched its Preschool for All (PFA) Program, which was expanded in 2017 using dollars from a federal Preschool Development Grant. The program, which operates in nearly every county in the state, is a targeted one, serving children who are considered at-risk based on both economic and developmental factors. As of 2022, Illinois served 31% of 4-year-olds and 21% of 3-year-olds.

Sources:
Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). Preschool for All (PFA).
Illinois State Board of Education. (2023). Illinois Preschool for All Expansion Program Eligibility and Weighted Priority Enrollment Form.
National Institute for Early Education Research. (2022). Illinois

Since 2006, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) have coordinated with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to host the Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map (IECAM). The Early Childhood Asset Map is a data visualization toolthat provides demographic and program data on early childhood programs (e.g., licensed settings, Preschool For All, Head Start, and more), health factors, socioeconomic factors, and geographic regions related to services for children from birth to five. The tool is for public use and has begun to support the state’s data integration initiatives.

IECAM was developed after the state’s Early Learning Council called for a web-based tool to support decision making. The IECAM is funded through the Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Human Services.

Other sources:
Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map (2023), EC Learning IL

Early Childhood Professional Learning (ECPL) provides free professional learning and resources to support Illinois State Board of Education-funded programs in implementing evidence-based practices to improve outcomes for young children and their families. It offers workshops, webinars, technical assistance, and coaching for professionals working with children from birth to 5 years old. It is funded by the Early Childhood Block Grant and Illinois State Board of Education. Illinois also offers other resources to its early education workforce, including individualized coaching.

Sources:

Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). Illinois Early Education Professional Development and Resources.

Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). Early Childhood Professional Development.