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Smart Start Illinois is an initiative of Gov. JB Pritzker that’s
designed to expand publicly funded preschool programs and
increase the number of preschool seats available to 80% of all
working families in Illinois. Lawmakers first approved the
program in 2023.
Since then, the state has added 11,000 seats.
“Every Illinois child deserves our full investment starting in
their earliest years,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Smart
Start Illinois will put our children on the path to growth and
opportunity while making our communities stronger, healthier,
and more connected.”
The initiative includes the Early Childhood Block Grant, which
is distributed by the Illinois State Board of Education.
The block grant allocated $32.2 million for the 2025 fiscal year
to 91 grantees. That funding is serving 4,008 children in
half-day preschool and 1,142 in full-day preschool, as well as
providing support services for 512 children under the age of 3.
“When we educate our children, we set off a domino effect –
education leads to opportunity which leads to prosperity which
leads to stability,” Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said in a
statement. “That’s why Smart Start Illinois remains a priority
in our administration.”
Capitol News Illinois is
a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state
government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is
funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert
R. McCormick Foundation. |
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