We’re asking you to contact your legislators today and urge them to support FY27 early childhood budget recommendations that invest in children, families, and the early childhood workforce:

• Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP): $120 million total to meet rising caseloads, fund ExceleRate quality add-ons, increase home based reimbursement rates through the SEIU Healthcare CBA, and provide a 3% reimbursement rate increase for center-based programs.
• Smart Start Workforce Grants (SSWG): $50 million increase to support a $1.50 wage floor increase for lead teachers and $0.25 increase for assistant teachers.
• Early Intervention (EI): $40 million increase based on the state cost model.
• Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE): $5 million increase, totaling $10 million to support early educator scholarships.
• Home Visiting (HV): $5 million increase to expand family support services.
• Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG): $75 million increase to sustain and expand preschool and birth-to-three programs.

These investments are essential to ensure Illinois’ early childhood system can meet families’ needs, strengthen the workforce, and continue building toward a more equitable and stable future.

TAKE ACTION TODAY: Email or call your legislators and urge them to include the full early childhood advocates’ FY27 budget request in the state budget. Together, we can make Illinois a leader in access, equity, and quality for every young child.

For more information, contact: Neoma Nagahawatte - neoma.nagahawatte@actforchildren.org