Early Childhood Education & Care
Early childhood education and care (ECEC) refers to programs and supports for young children, from birth through 8 years old, and their families – such as child care, preschool, home visiting, kindergarten, and the early elementary grades.
Less than one third* of Illinois kindergartners begin school “ready”…
*As of 2019
Research shows that 80% of a child’s brain develops by the age of three and 90% of a child’s brain is fully developed by the age of 5. That means that the first five years of a child’s life are the most critical to a child’s development and future success.
Key components to high-quality early childhood education and care are ensuring students are academically and developmentally on track, closing opportunity gaps that begin well before kindergarten, and guaranteeing families have safe and enriching environments for their children.
Children who participate in high-quality programs are:
More likely to be kindergarten ready
Less likely to participate in special education or remedial coursework
More likely to graduate high school and go on to college
More likely to be employed and have higher earnings
However, many families, particularly those from low-income communities, families of color, and those in early childhood education and care deserts lack access to high-quality early childhood opportunities, which can limit their ability to fully benefit from the positive early learning experiences that help children enter school ready to succeed.
In Illinois, only 30% of kindergartners begin school “ready,” with the percentage of students demonstrating kindergarten readiness varying widely across lines of income, language, and learning style.
*As of 2022-2023
…We’re working to change that.
At Advance Illinois, we believe every child deserves access to equitable opportunities in life, beginning with experiences in the early years. To make that a reality, we need adequate and equitable funding of our system, a strong early childhood workforce that is justly compensated and maintains a diverse pipeline, and transparent data systems to increase effective decision-making at the state and local level.
We served on the Governor’s Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding, which was charged with making recommendations for an ECEC system that provides equitable access to high-quality programs and services for all Illinois children.
Today, we serve as a member of the Transition Advisory Committee for the Governor’s proposed transition to the new single agency, the Department of Early Childhood. The unified agency will address challenges families face in navigating the complicated state system and provide a more equitable, integrated, and holistic system of services.
We continue to spotlight the equity gaps that exist for those entering kindergarten and the need for additional quality ECEC services through our research and reports, such as our bi-annual report, The State We’re In: 2022.
Finally, we do not do this work alone, rather, we work in partnership and in coalition with other organizations to make our voice stronger together. We are an active member of the We, the Village, a group of advocates, early childhood providers, non-profit organizations, and other members of the ECEC ecosystem united in championing a stronger and more adequately and equitably funded ECEC system in Illinois.