Gov. Pritzker Announces Proposal to Create Unified Early Childhood State Agency

Gov. Signs EO to Initiate Transition, Education Expert Ann Whalen to Lead Effort

 Gov. Pritzker Announces Proposal to Create Unified Early Childhood State Agency

Gov. Signs EO to Initiate Transition, Education Expert Ann Whalen to Lead Effort

Governor Pritzker was joined by Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, Deputy Governor Grace Hou, Deputy Governor Martin Torres, elected officials, and state agency directors at the Carole Robertson Center for Learning to announce a proposal to create a new state agency to house all early childhood programs and funding. The new unified agency will provide a more equitable, integrated, and holistic system of services for young children and families in Illinois.

“We need a governance system that is unified in its approach to serving families, working with providers, and promoting equity,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Our Smart Start Illinois plan served as the catalyst for this transition, but this new agency will cover so much more. From ISBE’s Early Childhood Block Grants and DCFS’ day care licensing program to DHS’ childcare, home visiting and early intervention services, soon all of these programs will be administered under the same agency.”

The proposal builds 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 childcare system. Currently, services are housed in three separate agencies—the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS), and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

To initiate the multi-year process, Governor Pritzker is signing an Executive Order, and will work with the General Assembly on legislation in the spring of 2024.

Early Childhood Transition Director Ann Whalen

Education expert Ann Whalen will serve as Early Childhood Transition Director, working out of ISBE and in close collaboration with state agencies and the governor’s office.

Ann Whalen has served as the Director of Policy for Advance Illinois since 2019, where she works on education advocacy issues including addressing Illinois’ teacher shortage, the improved use of data to drive decision making, social-and-emotional learning, education funding, and more. She has an extensive background in education policy and implementation at the local, state, and federal levels.

Before joining Advance, Ann spent two years at Denver Public Schools focused on academic administration. Previously, Ann served as the Director of the United States Department of Education Implementation and Support Unit, helping to administer the Obama administration’s Race to the Top program. Additionally, she served as Acting Assistant Secretary in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education where she focused on improving academic outcomes. Prior to her work in Washington, Ann was Deputy Chief Education Officer at Chicago Public Schools. She holds a BA in Political Science from Stanford University.

Advisory Committee

Governor Pritzker is establishing an external advisory committee to seek input from stakeholders across the state in preparation for the proposal. The committee will be chaired by Bela Moté and work closely with Ann Whalen.

Bela Moté is the Chief Executive Officer of the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, one of the largest early childhood and youth development organizations in Chicago, serving close to 2,500 children through their childcare centers and affiliate programs. She previously led the Early Childhood Funding Commission.

Early Childhood State Agency Proposal

The new unified agency will unify the following programs under a single agency:

The Early Childhood Block Grant at ISBE, which funds Preschool for All and the Prevention Initiative home-visiting program

The Child Care Assistance Program, Home-Visiting, and Early Intervention services at DHS

Day care licensing currently managed by DCFS

Governor Pritzker established the Illinois Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding (“Early Childhood Funding Commission”) to analyze and make recommendations on funding goals and mechanisms to provide equitable access to high-quality early childhood education and care services for all children from birth to age five. The Commission concluded its efforts in 2021 with the recommendation to consolidate all early childhood programs into a new agency, making it a more accessible system for providers and families.

The unified agency will address the difficulties that providers and families experience when navigating three different agencies. Having a governance system that is unified in its approach to serving families, working with providers, and promoting equity is why several states—including Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, Oregon, and New Mexico—already created new state agencies dedicated solely to early childhood.

The change will further advance the Pritzker administration’s transformative investments in comprehensive early childhood education and care, including Smart Start Illinois. Beginning with a $250 million investment this year, Smart Start Illinois is a multi-year plan to eliminate preschool deserts, increase funding to childcare providers to raise wages and quality, and reach more vulnerable families with early support.

Smart Start Illinois demonstrates the state's ongoing commitment to children, families, teachers, and childcare providers. The $250 million investment in FY24 includes:

$75 million additional for the Early Childhood Block Grant to put Illinois on a path to creating more than 20,000 new Pre-K spots for every child who wants one

$130 million for nation-leading Childcare Workforce Compensation Contracts that will stabilize providers and give childcare workers a raise

An additional $40 million for Early Intervention programs to enhance services for families and give providers a raise

$5 million to expand the Illinois Department of Human Services' Home Visiting Program so more families who want it can receive this early support

In addition to Smart Start investments, other investments being made in the early Childhood Education Space include:

$100 million in capital dollars for early childhood providers to expand existing facilities and build new facilities

$70 million for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)

$12 million in new funding for scholarships and apprenticeships to expand the childcare workforce

$1.6 million to launch the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, a statewide literacy initiative to send free books to children from birth-through age five

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