Courtesy of Illinois Early Childhood Funding Coalition

Early care and education in Illinois will see a mix of cuts and level funding in Governor JB Pritzker’s proposed state budget, as indicated in his State of the State and Budget Address delivered at the Capitol on Wednesday. Governor Pritzker’s proposed FY22 budget includes the following General Revenue Fund (GRF) funding levels for early childhood programs: 

• $543.7 million, or flat funding, for the Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG)

• $410.6 million, or a $20 million decrease to Level funding to the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) from state sources

• Combined $16.9 million, or flat funding for DHS-funded home visiting

• $108. 9 million, or a $7 million cut to funding for Early Intervention (EI) from state sources 

While federal relief dollars will make up for proposed cuts to the Child Care budget, they will not cover cuts to Early Intervention. The use of temporary federal funds to cover reductions in state funding should be cautioned against, particularly for temporary enrollment declines.  IAFC supports the Governor’s efforts to close nearly $1 billion in corporate tax loopholes.