SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has extended the application deadline for $75 million in new preschool funding to June 30, offering potential providers two additional weeks to submit applications. The Early Childhood Block Grant aims to increase access to preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds across the state and fill critical gaps in underserved areas. ISBE is encouraging providers to apply for this new funding to offer preschool services in the state’s preschool deserts. The application opened April 17, and the deadline is 4 p.m. on June 30.
The grant application is open to a wide range of entities, including public school districts, nonpublic schools, Regional Offices of Education, not-for-profit or for-profit community-based organizations, and child care centers – any provider with experience serving young children and their families.
Providers that need assistance meeting the program requirements for licensed staff can learn more about the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity Scholarship Program. Scholarships are available for undergraduate and graduate study. Eligible applicants are individuals currently working or who have worked in the early childhood field, including in home-based or center-based child care; who have obtained membership with the Illinois Gateways to Opportunity Registry; and who are enrolled or accepted to enroll in an eligible program at a participating institution in pursuit of an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree in early childhood or an additional license or endorsement in the field.
ISBE also offers temporary licenses called short-term approvals for qualified individuals to start teaching immediately while working toward permanent licensure.
“ISBE has issued a statewide call to school districts, private schools, day cares, churches, and community-based organizations – both public and private – to help close gaps in access to preschool by applying for funding,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. “Ensuring that every child in Illinois – regardless of background, socio-economic status, or where they live – has access to high-quality early learning opportunities is such an imperative that we have extended the deadline to apply. I encourage every potential provider in a preschool desert to take advantage of this extension, visit ISBE.net/preschool today, and apply for funding to expand services or open a new preschool in their community.”
The $75 million in new preschool funding is part of the broader $250 million investment in early childhood education and services included in the state’s fiscal year 2024 budget. ISBE hopes the funding will expand access to state-funded preschool to an estimated 5,000 additional low-income children across the state – the first step in a four-year plan to serve 20,000 additional children and fully eliminate preschool deserts in Illinois.
Illinois ranks eighth in the nation for preschool enrollment, but there are still areas throughout the state with an insufficient number of publicly funded preschool seats to serve at least 80% of 3- and 4-year-old children from low-income families – the criterion ISBE uses to define a preschool desert. Find the list of priority preschool deserts where ISBE will target funding here.
The grant will fund the creation of new programs and expansion of existing programs, prioritizing applicants that serve children in preschool deserts outside the city of Chicago. Chicago Public Schools receives a separate grant for early childhood services, which it uses to offer pre-k for 3- and 4-year-olds districtwide.
The Early Childhood Block Grant provides funding for three programs:
- Preschool for All – Half-day (2.5 hours per day), high-quality preschool for 3-5-year-olds with licensed teachers and standards-aligned curriculum
- Preschool for All-Expansion – Full-day (five hours per day), high-quality preschool along with comprehensive physical and mental health services designed to serve 3-5-year-olds in the highest-need communities
- Prevention Initiative – Home visiting and center-based programs that provide intensive, research-based, and comprehensive child development and family support services for expectant parents and families with children from birth to age 3
The number of programs awarded will be determined by the number of applications received and the amount of funds available. Programs that were funded in FY 2019, FY 2020, and FY 2023 do not need to apply to maintain current funding and should only apply to seek additional funding to expand their program.
The Birth to Five Illinois Regional Team is also available throughout the application window to assist with accessing, understanding, and utilizing the preschool desert data in funding applications.
Interested applicants may access the Request for Proposal on the ISBE website. Applications are due to ISBE no later than 4 p.m. on June 30, 2023.
