FAQs

Last update: 2/21/2024

Illinois strives to be the best state in the nation to raise a family. To do this, we must make early childhood education and care services simpler, better, and fairer for families with young children.

The majority of early childhood services for babies, toddlers and young children are split among three state agencies—the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), and the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

The new Department of Early Childhood will unite the majority of early childhood services into one place, making it easier for families to access critical services and for stronger coordination between the various early childhood programs and services provided by the state.

• better coordinated programs
• more equitably allocated resources,
• less bureaucracy for providers to navigate, and
• greater access to services for families with young children.

The programs moving from their legacy agencies (ISBE, IDHS, and DCFS) to the new agency include:

*Program not included in the initial legislative package. While there is a strong commitment to center the needs children receiving early childhood special education services and supports in the new Department of Early childhood, additional discussions with the US Department of Education and stakeholders are needed to identify the best approach to support children and families moving forward.  Therefore, starting in Spring 2024, the Transition Team will launch a workgroup focused on this topic.

Programs will move into the new Department of Early Childhood starting July 1, 2026. For example, currently the Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG) is administered by ISBE – this will continue to be the case for the rest of FY24 and in FY25 and FY26 – it is not until July 1, 2026, that the ECBG will move to the new Department of Early Childhood.

Programs and services designed to serve families with young children will move. That includes Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) which primarily serves young children but often serves families with children up to age 13. It also includes Child Care (Day Care) Licensing which licenses programs to deliver services to young children through age 13.  Broader family and school support will remain at legacy agencies. Programs not mentioned will not be directly impacted by this change and operate as usual.

The new agency – the Department of Early Childhood - will take shape over the next three years. In 2024, the state will work with the Illinois General Assembly to pass legislation to establish and “launch” the Department of Early Childhood on July 1, 2024. Until July 1, 2026, all early childhood education and care program administration remain in the current legacy agencies. The new agency will build capacity and work with stakeholders to identify opportunities to provide more simplified, equitable, and integrated services and supports to parents and families while also reducing burden and complexities for providers. Early childhood education and care programs will move into the new Department of Early Childhood on July 1, 2026.

For example, currently the Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG) is administered by ISBE – this will continue to be the case for the rest of FY24 and in FY25 and FY26 – it is not until July 1, 2026, that the ECBG will move to the new Department of Early Childhood.

In the short term (until July 1, 2026), programs will stay in the current legacy agencies with no disruption to current services and supports.

Long-term, having the state’s early childhood education and care programs in one agency will address challenges families and providers face in navigating the complexity of three different State agencies and will help provide parents more simplified, accessible, and equitable access to early childhood services and support.

As part of this transition, the State will work with stakeholders, including parents, providers, educators, and advocates, to identify opportunity areas of redesign and improvement to support and services in the future (after July 1, 2024). This may take additional legislation or rulemaking in 2025 or 2026.

In the short term (until July 1, 2026), programs will stay in the current legacy agencies with no disruption to current services and supports.

Long-term, having the state’s early childhood education and care programs in one agency will address challenges families and providers face in navigating the complexity of three different State agencies and will help provide more simplified, accessible, and equitably access to services and support.

As part of this transition, the State will work with stakeholders, including parents, providers, educators, and advocates, to identify opportunity areas of redesign and improvement to support and services in the future (after July 1, 2024). This may take additional legislation or rulemaking in 2025 or 2026.

Yes, the Governor’s Office and State Agencies will work with the Illinois General Assembly to draft and move legislation in Spring 2024 to establish and “launch” the new Department of Early Childhood on July 1, 2024.

In February 2024, Leader Lightford sponsored SB1 and Rep. Canty sponsored HB5451 to establish the Department of Early Childhood – legislation that will enable a better coordinated system of birth-to-five services and allow the state to reduce complexity and advance equity for families with young children.

The spring 2024 legislation is intended to solely authorize the creation of the new agency. The State will work with stakeholders, including parents, providers, educators, and advocates, to identify opportunity areas of redesign in the future (after July 1, 2024).

In the meantime, current legacy agencies (ISBE, IDHS, DCFS) will continue to lead efforts to continuously improve current programs and services.

Smart Start Illinois is a multi-year plan to eliminate preschool deserts, increase funding to child care providers to raise wages and quality, and reach more vulnerable families with early support. The move to a new unified agency will further advance these transformative investments and support more equitable, integrated, and holistic system of services, building on Governor Pritzker's work to make Illinois the best state in the nation for families raising young children, with the nation's best early childhood education and care system.  Smart Start investments will continue to be administered by legacy agencies (IDHS and ISBE) until July 1, 2026.

Yes, included in the Governor’s FY25 State Budget is modest request for resources, $13 million, to stand up and build the capacity of the new Department of Early Childhood. The vast majority of requested funds, including resources for Smart Start Illinois, continue to be included in legacy agencies’ budget request (i.e., IDHS, ISBE and DCFS).  In the long term, these resources are an investment in a better coordinated system of birth-to-five services that will allow the state to more equitably serve high-need families and make more efficient use of state resources in early childhood.

There are several opportunities to learn more about the transition and provide feedback into the process.

• Transition Advisory Committee (TAC)

The State has established the Transition Advisory Committee (TAC), composed of representatives with diverse perspectives from across the state, to serve as an external advisory committee. The TAC will manage stakeholder input and ensure the goals and needs of families and providers are brought to the table in a meaningful way. The TAC will meet monthly, and all meetings are open to the public. 

• List of TAC Committee Members
• Upcoming TAC Meetings

• Listening Sessions

The State is hosting bimonthly virtual listening sessions to share updates on the transition, provide an opportunity for the public to share their questions, priorities and ideas, and learn from the lived experiences of stakeholders.

• Dates and times of upcoming Listening Sessions

• 2024 Listening Session Survey on Illinois' ECE Governance Transition

In addition to the TAC meetings and listening sessions, anyone may share their thoughts or questions about the transition to a new unified early childhood agency by completing the 2024 Listening Session Survey (English), 2024 Listening Session Survey (Spanish). Feedback from this survey will be shared with the Transition Advisory Committee, the state’s Transition Team, and State agency leadership.