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On Wednesday, February 18, Governor JB Pritzker delivered his State of the State address and shared the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget to the members of the General Assembly and Illinois residents.
The proposed budget emphasizes maintaining fiscal responsibility, growing Illinois’ economy, reducing the cost of living for Illinois residents, and building on core educational investments.
In his address, Governor Pritzker also reaffirmed his commitment to protecting Illinois residents from ongoing uncertainty and harmful actions at the federal level. By prioritizing state-level stability and strategic investments, the governor’s proposed budget seeks to ensure Illinois families can afford the essentials – food, health care, housing, education – that are the foundation for families to thrive and our state to prosper.
“Ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed requires strong, sustained support for families and the communities they call home,” said April Janney, CEO of Illinois Action for Children. “We applaud Governor Pritzker’s leadership throughout the challenges we have experienced as a state and as a nation in recent months. And we value his continued commitment to investing in the programs and policies that benefit our youngest learners and their families.”
Governor Pritzker’s proposed budget includes critical increases to several core early childhood program areas and maintains current funding levels for others. This balanced approach reflects the governor’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the foundation for Illinois’ young children and their families amidst state funding pressures and an uncertain federal landscape.
The governor’s proposed FY27 budget includes funding for early education and care programs that, beginning in FY27, will be administered by the Illinois Department of Early Childhood:
- Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP): $55 million increase to support child care services for 155,000 Illinois children and rate increases for home-based child care providers
- Smart Start Workforce Grants: level funding of $200 million to continue support for increased compensation that is currently reaching more than 16,000 child care educators working with more than 107,000 Illinois children
- Early Intervention: $15 million increase to support efficient and timely services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities
- Early Childhood Block Grant: level funding for preschool and infant toddler programs
- Home Visting: $500,000 increase for home visiting programs (pending further information)
The budget proposal also includes level funding of $5 million for Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) scholarships, which support the current child care workforce in obtaining degrees and credentials.
IAFC remains encouraged by Governor Pritzker’s continued dedication to early education and care in Illinois. Like the governor, IAFC knows that making early childhood investments is critical to our state’s economic growth and progress towards a brighter future.
We will work closely with the General Assembly to advocate for a final budget that maximizes support for Illinois children, families, and the early childhood workforce.
