Illinois

Preschool for All

Overview of Program

  • Universally open to all 3 and 4 year olds in the state of Illinois
  • Voluntary program for both families & providers
  • Goal is to ensure that all children are well prepared to succeed in school and in life
  • Funded by the Illinois Early Childhood Block Grant program, awarded to eligible providers
    (including public school districts) who meet program specifications
  • 5-year expansion of previously existing early childhood programs
  • Currently administered by Illinois State Board of Education
    (except in Chicago, where it is administered by the Chicago Public Schools)
  • Preschool for All Executive Summary of Report by the Illinois Early Learning Council, 2006 [PDF]
  • Preschool for All Full Report by the Illinois Early Learning Council, 2006 [PDF]

Brief History of Preschool for All

  • July, 2006 Preschool for All was signed into law
  • August, 2006, 101 Pre-kindergarten programs received Preschool for All funding
  • Approximately 10,000 new children will be reached in 2006-07 due to this program
  • It is estimated that when fully implemented, Preschool for All will ensure that 190,000 children will have access to high-quality preschool in Illinois
  • Preschool for All Funding Report for Fiscal Year 2007 [PDF]

Illinois Prekindergarten Program for Children at Risk of Academic Failure

Overview of Program

  • Serves children ages 3-5 who are at risk of academic failure
  • Funding is provided through the Illinois Early Childhood Block Grant awarded to public school districts

Brief History of Illinois’s Pre-K Program

  • Began in 1986
  • The first full year of the program, 1987, 94 projects representing 202 school districts received funding through the program, serving 6,953 children
  • In FY 2005, 500 projects representing 657 school districts received funding, serving 72,652 children
  • Historical data on the program from FY 1986 to FY 2005 [PDF]

Evaluation of Illinois’s Pre-K Program

Illinois Early Learning Council

  • Created in 2003 by the Illinois Legislature
  • Mission is to develop a high quality early learning system that enhances, coordinates, and expands programs and services for children birth to five statewide
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