In the past year, over 5,000 preschool seats have become available for low-income families in Illinois through the Smart Start Illinois initiative.
Launched by Governor JB Pritzker, Smart Start Illinois aims to expand publicly funded preschool programs and increase the availability of preschool seats to 80% of working families in the state. The program was first approved by lawmakers in 2023.
Since its inception, the state has successfully added a total of 11,000 preschool seats.
“Every child in Illinois deserves our full investment from their earliest years,” Pritzker stated. “Smart Start Illinois will set our children on a path to growth and opportunity while strengthening our communities.”
The initiative also includes the Early Childhood Block Grant, managed by the Illinois State Board of Education. For the 2025 fiscal year, the block grant allocated $32.2 million to 91 grantees. This funding supports 4,008 children in half-day preschool programs and 1,142 in full-day programs, in addition to providing services for 512 children under the age of 3.
“When we invest in our children’s education, we create a domino effect—education leads to opportunity, which fosters prosperity and stability,” Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton remarked. “That’s why Smart Start Illinois is a key priority for our administration.”
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