Tuesday, April 26, 2022
The Carole Robertson Center for Learning applauds Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly for prioritizing the well-being of children, families, and our workforce through key early childhood and youth development funding increases included in the FY23 state budget. With these key investments, the administration continues to demonstrate its deep commitment to make Illinois the best state in which to raise a family. Notable funding increases and restorations include:
- $54.4 million increase to the Early Childhood Block Grant, which funds preschool, center-based infant and toddler care, and evidence-based home-visiting services
- $7 million restored to Early Intervention so that children with developmental delays receive adequate supports
- $1 million to Illinois Department of Human Services home visiting, following two decades of stagnant funding
- $16.81 million to Teen REACH – a $2.3 million increase
- $20 million in continued funding for the Illinois State Board of Education After School Programs grant
Thanks in part to the advocacy of Carole Robertson Center families and staff, as well as our advocacy and public policy partners—our legislators responded to the needs of families and acknowledged the value of providing children with robust, high-quality services and programming.
As the Carole Robertson Center continues to build and strengthen our community-based advocacy approach, we look forward to advancing the recommendations of the bipartisan Illinois Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding and other such efforts. In partnership with families, providers, and the workforce, we will continue to build on this positive momentum and reimagine a system that provides equitable, accessible, and affordable high-quality early learning and out-of-school time programs for all of Illinois’ young children and youth.
Read our most recent report “Amplifying Voices, Advancing Advocacy” to learn more!
About the Carole Robertson Center:
The Carole Robertson Center for Learning is a nonprofit organization serving approximately 2,000 children, youth, and their families across Chicago, with a significant presence in the North Lawndale, Little Village, and Albany Park communities. The Center is one of the largest early childhood organizations in the City of Chicago, serving linguistically and culturally diverse populations across 27 communities, and with recent growth made possible by federal funding, the Center has become the city’s largest birth-to-three program provider. Our programs reach children at every stage of development, from before birth to age 17.
