Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed Smart Start program would allow an additional 5,000 kids to go to preschool next year, eventually adding a total of 20,000 slots. The plan would also add money to increase wages for early education providers.
Early Childhood Education
Amid the chaos that characterized the last decades of the Robert Taylor Homes in Bronzeville, an ambitious early education program helped the children who lived there flourish.
An additional 5,000 children will be able to go to preschool next year under a proposal Gov. J.B. Pritzker will introduce Wednesday when he pitches his 2024 fiscal year plan to legislators and the public.
A technical delay is holding up payments to providers who care for children of low-income families that are part of the state’s Child Care Assistance Program, designed to help parents go to work or school with the help of subsidized child care.
Developed by the Committee for Children, a nonprofit dedicated to the well-being of children, the podcast uses stories, music and activities to help children and adults talk about their feelings and solve problems together. And it doesn’t shy away from topics like racism, prejudice and equity.
The Illinois Child Care for All Coalition is calling for publicly-funded universal child care, saying it is unavailable and unaffordable for many in the Prairie State.
After policy changes were made to improve equitable enrollment, students of color and those from low-income households were three times more likely to enroll in full-day pre-K, according to a new report from the University of Chicago.
“As a city, we must ensure every child, regardless of their ZIP code, receives a high-quality early education, providing them the tools and opportunities they need to thrive,” said Mayor Lightfoot in a statement.
Rosemarie Truglio, the development specialist behind the curriculum of “Sesame Street” is out with a new book for parents to help their children learn.
The city is making changes to the way neighborhood early learning centers receive funding, and some providers say the changes are destabilizing to families and communities.
Children have a better chance at reaching their full potential now than at any other time in history, according to a new report released by Save the Children. But there’s more work ahead – particularly in the U.S.
Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman tells us how early childhood education can impact a person’s life well into middle age.
The Chicago City Council approves a measure that would fund an early childhood education program using private investment funds.
Parents, early childhood educators, community groups, and aldermen are calling for the city to offer universal early care and education for all Chicago children under the age of 5.
As one in four births in Illinois is a Latino child, advocates at the Latino Policy Forum say the Latino community needs further investment, particularly in early education. We take a look at a home visiting program designed to help mothers learn how to better prepare their children for the first days of school, so that Latino children don’t start off academically behind their peers. Read an article and watch a web extra video.
A bill introduced in Congress today would expand access to high-quality preschool for 4-year-old children from low and moderate income families. Read a summary of the bill and a fact sheet.
