State Pre-K Enrollment
82,474
+1,293 from prior year2023-24 school year
Data Section
Early Childhood Education
Comprehensive data on early childhood programs, enrollment, funding, kindergarten readiness, and licensed daycare providers across Illinois.
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Key Insights
AI2024 Early Childhood Updates
New Department of Early Childhood (IDEC)
Gov. Pritzker established a unified agency for early childhood, consolidating programs from ISBE, DHS, and DCFS.
5,886 New Pre-K Seats
Added in preschool deserts to serve 80% of low-income 3- and 4-year-olds in underserved areas.
State Pre-K Spending
$509M
17% increase (inflation-adj)
Per-Child Spending
$6,171
+$793 from prior year
Quality Benchmarks Met
8 of 10
NIEER standards
Head Start (3-4 yr)
15,816
Federally funded
Special Ed (3-4 yr)
26,705
Ages 3 and 4
District Coverage
99%
Counties with state program
Enrollment by Region (Birth to 5)
Bar chart showing Enrollment by Region (Birth to 5). Highest: Chicago at 32,000. Lowest: Southern IL at 7,474.
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Chicago | 32,000 |
| Suburban Cook | 18,000 |
| Collar Counties | 15,000 |
| Central IL | 10,000 |
| Southern IL | 7,474 |
Program Type Distribution
Pre-K Enrollment & Spending Trends
State-funded Pre-K program data (2018–2024)
Trends from 2018 to 2024. Pre-K Enrollment: increased from 74200 to 82474. Per-Child Spending ($): increased from 4800 to 6171.
Licensed Daycare Providers
Explore licensed daycare centers across Illinois with capacity data and quality ratings from DCFS.
Licensed Centers
0
Across Illinois
Day Capacity
0
Total slots
Night Capacity
0
Evening/night slots
Counties Covered
0
With licensed providers
Daycare Capacity by County
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Day Capacity
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0 total providers
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Funding Overview
State and federal funding streams supporting early childhood education in Illinois.
Funding by Source (Millions $)
Bar chart showing Funding by Source (Millions $). Highest: State Pre-K at 508.924. Lowest: EI Services at 180.
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| State Pre-K | 508.924 |
| Head Start | 320 |
| Child Care | 285 |
| EI Services | 180 |
Key Programs
Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG)
State-funded preschool and prevention initiative programs
Head Start
Federal program promoting school readiness for low-income families
Early Intervention (EI)
Services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays
Kindergarten Readiness (KIDS)
Data from the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey measuring school readiness across developmental domains.
| Domain | Ready (%) | Approaching (%) | Emerging (%) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language & Literacy | 68% | 22% | 10% | +2.1% |
| Math | 71% | 20% | 9% | +1.8% |
| Social & Emotional | 75% | 18% | 7% | +0.9% |
| Physical Development | 82% | 14% | 4% | +1.2% |
| Approaches to Learning | 73% | 19% | 8% | +1.5% |
Source: ISBE KIDS Assessment Data. Pre-K data from NIEER State of Preschool 2024 Yearbook.
Illinois Quality Standards
Illinois meets 8 of 10 NIEER quality benchmarks for preschool programs.
Early Learning & Development Standards
Comprehensive, aligned, supported, culturally sensitive
Curriculum Supports
Approval process & supports
Teacher Degree
BA required
Teacher Specialized Training
ECE, ECE SpEd specialization
Assistant Teacher Degree
Educator License required (benchmark: CDA)
Staff Professional Development
120 hrs/5 yrs (benchmark: 15 hrs/year + coaching)
Maximum Class Size
20 students for 3- & 4-year-olds
Staff-to-Child Ratio
1:10 ratio
Screening & Referral
Vision, hearing, health & more
Continuous Quality Improvement
Structured observations; data for improvement
Source: NIEER State of Preschool 2024 Yearbook