SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a law on Tuesday to create a separate Department of Early Childhood. This new agency aims to simplify, improve, and make it fairer for families to access care for young children in Illinois.
After five years of study, the decision to create this agency followed findings that Illinois families faced significant challenges navigating services spread across the State Board of Education and the departments of Human Services and Healthcare and Family Services.
“Families have struggled with a system that is too complex and often disjointed,” Pritzker stated at the Eyes On The Future Child Development Center in Chicago. “Our state-funded early childhood programs are scattered across three different state agencies, making it difficult for families to find the support they need.”
Illinois is now the fourth state to establish an executive branch agency dedicated to early childhood development. According to the Education Commission of the States, Georgia and Maryland formed similar departments in 2004, and Alabama followed suit in 2015.
Other states, like Colorado, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, manage childhood services within a single division or through joint oversight of department programs.
With $13 million in initial funding, Ann Whalen, formerly of Advance Illinois, has been leading the transition to the new agency since last fall.
“By 2026, this new agency will simplify and improve the lives of tens of thousands of Illinois families immediately, and millions more in the future,” Pritzker said.
Since taking office, Pritzker has focused on early childhood education, including expanding the Smart Start pre-school program.
Senate sponsor for the new agency, Democratic Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford of Westchester, has long advocated for early childhood education. She helped introduce universal pre-school nearly 20 years ago.
Lightford emphasized the importance of a “trauma-informed approach” for the new department. Many families needing state support have experienced significant distress.
“We are committed to creating safe, nurturing, and healing environments,” Lightford said. “With this department, we are building a foundation for a more compassionate, equitable, and resilient society.”
While some may view this as an expansion of government, Pritzker reassured that the consolidation would require minimal space and personnel, though he did not provide specific costs.
