SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Pritzker administration announced Friday that 11,000 children have been able to start preschool over the past two years thanks to the Smart Start Illinois program.
The historic budget investments are creating new preschool seats and helping childcare providers improve their workspace to serve at least 80% of all low-income 3 and 4-year-olds in Illinois.
The historic budget investments are creating new preschool seats and helping childcare providers improve their workspace.
Pritzker had an ambitious goal to create space for 5,000 kids to start preschool in 2023. The state saw 5,800 students join preschool programs in 2024. A $32 million investment in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget allowed 5,150 more children to start preschool in the second year of the program.
"We need to get about 11,000 more and we'll basically be at universal Pre-K," Pritzker said. "That's a big advancement."
Research shows children who attend quality preschool programs are 35% more likely to graduate high school and 60% less likely to need remedial education. Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton said early childhood education creates a domino effect for families.
"What do those 5,000 seats represent? They represent children being kindergarten ready," Stratton said. "They represent parents being able to work and put food on the table because they have a place where their children are being nurtured. And if we want to be real about it, they represent the workforce of tomorrow."
The Illinois State Board of Education will also award grants to improve wages for early childhood educators. Leaders believe this is critical to address the pay gap for teachers outside of the K-12 system.
"Every family in every corner of our state deserves the confidence of knowing that their child is entering a quality preschool program and can exit knowing that they're learning," said Dr. Tony Sanders, the Illinois Superintendent of Education.
The $32 million in grants went to 91 organizations outside of Chicago providing half day and full day preschool as well as early childhood prevention services. A separate $27 million was approved for preschool programs in Chicago.
Pritzker plans to keep the program as a top priority during budget negotiations this spring. Although, Democrats and Republicans know there will be tough decisions to make with an expected $3.2 billion budget deficit.
"We want to make sure nobody sits on a waiting list and we're working hard to make that happen across the state," Pritzker said. "If you live in some areas of downstate Illinois, it's a long way from your home to the nearest preschool. We want to make that easier for people to get to and have facilities available to them in their local areas."
Pritzker is scheduled to give his 2025 state of the state and budget address on February 19.
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