Gov. Pritzker Visits Childcare Centers in Rockford, Quad Cities, to Highlight Smart Start Investments

ROCKFORD, MOLINE— Governor JB Pritzker joined Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, early childhood care providers, and local leadership at two childcare facilities on Tuesday to highlight recent efforts and funding for the Smart Start Illinois Plan. The Rockford community has received a $1.2M investment and Moline-Rock Island has received nearly $1M from the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS). The funding will assist childcare providers with transitioning and preparing for Smart Start Workforce Grants, which will be available in SFY25 pending appropriation.

"Smart Start's first-in-the-nation, $130 million childcare workforce grants are providing a much-needed solution to stabilize and grow the childcare sector — allowing existing and new child care providers to give even more families affordable, quality care," said Governor JB Pritzker. "But the impact doesn't end there, and the wraparound services provided by Smart Start will make a major difference for Illinois's youngest starting from birth."

"Smart Start is already establishing Illinois as a national leader in early childhood development, adding thousands more pre-school seats and uplifting the early childhood workforce," said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. "We are strengthening our families while strengthening the Illinois economy. Everyone wins."

The Smart Start Illinois Plan consists of three major initiatives:

• Increasing funding to create 20,000 new preschool seats over four years and improve overall access and care quality,

• Raising childcare worker wages to bring stability to the field and enhance programming,

• Expanding access to home visiting and early intervention services for thousands of children and families

Fiscal support for these initiatives focuses most prominently on the FY24 Early Childhood Block Grant Program, which will see a $75M increase per year for four years to eliminate early childhood education deserts by 2027, and the first-in-the-nation Smart Start Childcare Workforce Grants, providing $130M to increase childcare worker wages. In FY24 to date, 4,139 childcare programs have received a total investment of over $147K. These funds have impacted over 30,000 childcare workers and 166,000 children.

In Rockford, the event was held at Youth Services Network (YSN), which provides therapy and support services to families and children who are dealing with traumatic experiences or need early intervention for health treatment. All services are trauma-informed, strength-based, and community-driven. YSN is state-licensed and has been in existence since 1982.

"It's critical that we provide an opportunity for all families to access early childhood education, so that our children can develop a strong foundation for a life full of learning," said Representative Maurice West (D-Rockford). "The investments we're making today in Smart Start will continue to pay off for years ahead. I'm encouraged by the strong early numbers reflected by this initiative."

"With Smart Start, we're making needed investments in our early childhood education system that helps parents, educators, and most importantly, our children," said Representative Dave Vella (D-Rockford). "A strong early childhood network builds a strong foundation for our kids and creates more opportunity for them. It's great to see that this initiative is already making an impact, and it's critical that we continue to support these children in every step of their educational journey."

"A robust childcare system gives Illinois kids the foundation they need to grow up safe and healthy," said Representative Gregg Johnson (D-Rock Island). "By continuing to make higher-quality, more affordable childcare a priority, we are not just providing for families today, we are building a stronger future for every community in our state."

"It's time to promise Illinois families that their children will not be left behind and that the people caring for our kids earn the wages they deserve for such an important job," said State Senator Mike Halpin (D-Rock Island). "We are one step closer to ensuring every child will receive a high-quality education."