Pritzker announces the addition of more than 5,000 publicly funded preschool seats

More than 5,000 preschool seats have opened for low-income families in Illinois through Smart Start Illinois in the past year.

Smart Start Illinois is an initiative of Gov. JB Pritzker that’s designed to expand publicly funded preschool programs and increase the number of preschool seats available to 80% of all working families in Illinois. Lawmakers first approved the program in 2023.

Since then, the state has added 11,000 seats.

“Every Illinois child deserves our full investment starting in their earliest years,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Smart Start Illinois will put our children on the path to growth and opportunity while making our communities stronger, healthier, and more connected.”

The initiative includes the Early Childhood Block Grant, which is distributed by the Illinois State Board of Education.

The block grant allocated $32.2 million for fiscal 2025 to 91 grantees. That funding is serving 4,008 children in half-day preschool and 1,142 in full-day preschool, as well as providing support services for 512 children younger than 3.

“When we educate our children, we set off a domino effect – education leads to opportunity which leads to prosperity which leads to stability,” Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said in a statement. “That’s why Smart Start Illinois remains a priority in our administration.”

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