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ROCHESTER, Ill. (WCIA) – In 2020, the Rochester Community Unit District #3A had 30 kids in their early childhood education program. Now, they have 250. Dan Cox, the superintendent of schools for the district, credits Smart Start Illinois with helping the program grow.
“It continues to support the research and evidence that giving children access to early education, early childhood education, only gives them the foundation for both success academically and socially,” Cox said.
The multi-year plan aims to increase access to preschool programs for every child in the state.
Governor J.B. Pritzker’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year includes a $150 million increase for the second year of Smart Start. Cox said more money for the program could help more students like the ones in their school district.
“What we’ve chosen to do here is invest heavily in early childhood education, by lowering class sizes at our youngest levels, by investing in social emotional supports, social workers, psychologists, and then also expanding our early childhood education and that will only serve to bolster the students academically and socially,” Cox said.
But some of the proposed dollars in the budget begin before students even step foot in a preschool class – $12 million would go towards creating a child tax credit for families with kids under three years old.
“That child tax credit is vitally important,” Pritzker said at a press conference at an event in Chicago on Monday. “This is the beginning of something that I think we can make sure and expand and cover many more families, but focusing on the youngest new children and families that are out there is the most important thing we can do and we ought to do it first.”
Advocates have pushed for a broader tax credit plan. A bill in the Capitol would give parents a $300 tax credit per child under 18 years old.
Still, Erion Malasi, the policy and advocacy director for Economic Security for Illinois, a group backing the measure, said the governor including it in the budget is a “major step in the right direction.”
In a statement, Malasi said, “Governor Pritzker’s proposal makes it clear that the CTC is the right policy for this moment. There is no time better than right now to pass this important legislation. We look forward to working with the General Assembly to fulfill the Governor’s mandate, ensure that this policy passes, and meet the needs of hardworking Illinois families.”
