Governor’s FY26 Budget Keeps Commitment to Early Childhood

At a time when maintaining Illinois’ social service ecosystem is critical, budget decisions are challenging. Erikson Institute is pleased to see that Governor Pritzker’s proposed budget for FY2026 maintains funding for some early childhood programs while increasing funding for others.

The proposed budget includes:

• An $85 million increase for the Child Care Assistance Program, in anticipation of more families needing subsidies to cover child care in the coming year.
• A $90 million increase for Smart Start Workforce grants, bringing total funding to $200 million, for increased wages for early childhood staff and educators. The additional funds will help replace federal funding.
• $3.3 million for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to continue providing free books to more children aged birth to 5.

General revenue funding for the following programs will remain at FY25 levels: The Early Childhood Block Grant, Illinois Department of Human Services’ Home Visiting programs, and Early Intervention.

Increasing Higher Ed Options

Erikson is also encouraged to see some out-of-the-box ideas, including HB3717/SB2482, which would allow community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees in high-demand fields like early care and education.

Increasing access to higher learning will give the early childhood workforce more opportunity to build their credentials. It is a powerful way to provide a bachelor’s degree at an affordable cost and demonstrates how policy can create positive change. There will be much anticipation around how this idea will grow.

To complement this effort, the proposed budget includes level funding of $5 million for the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity. This scholarship program is critical to helping make higher education affordable, and Erikson encourages the General Assembly to consider increasing its investment in the program to ensure its sustainability and success over time.

The needs of young children remain constant and staying invested in their healthy development is paramount to their well-being and our future. Erikson supports the Governor’s and the Illinois General Assembly’s efforts to safeguard resources for young children and their families.