Governor's Early Childhood Funding Commission

​In December 2019, the Governor established the Illinois Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding ("Early Childhood Funding Commission"). The Commission’s charge was to study and make recommendations to the Governor on funding goals and funding mechanisms that provide equitable access to high-quality early childhood education and care services for all children birth to age five. The Commission submitted their recommendations to the Governor in March 2021. Having completed their charge, the Commission has since disbanded. Efforts to implement the recommendations are being considered and led by the Governor and Illinois State Agencies. 

The documents linked below comprise the official Recommendations of the Illinois Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding. 

Membership

Click here to view a list of Commission members. 

Click here to view bios for each Commission member. 

Meeting Schedule 

Click here to view a list of past Commission meetings. All Commission meetings were open to the public, and a designated time for public comment was made available on all Commission agendas. 

Meeting Materials

The Commission held their final meeting on March 1, 2021. Below is an archival list of all Commission meetings, along with minutes and materials.

Meeting 1: December 16, 2019 - Meeting Materials & Meeting Minutes

Meeting 2: January 14, 2020 - Meeting Materials & Meeting Minutes

• Funding Adequacy Working Group: Meeting Materials (2/5/20)
• Funding Mechanism Working Group: Meeting Materials (2/4/20)
• Management & Oversight Working Group: Meeting Materials (1/30/20)
• Inclusion Working Group: Meeting Materials (2/4/20)
  

Meeting 3: February 11, 2020 - Meeting Materials & Meeting Minutes

• Funding Adequacy Working Group: Meeting Materials (3/2/20)
  
• Funding Mechanism Working Group: Meeting Materials (3/2/20)
  
• Management & Oversight Working Group: Meeting Materials (2/28/20)
  
• Inclusion Working Group: Meeting Materials (2/28/20)
  

Meeting 4: March 10, 2020 - Canceled

• Working Group Meetings: Canceled
  

Meeting 5: April 14, 2020 - Meeting Materials & Meeting Minutes

• Funding Adequacy Working Group: Meeting Materials (4/27/20)
  
• Funding Mechanism Working Group: Meeting Materials (5/4/20)
  
• Management & Oversight Working Group: Meeting Materials (5/4/20)
  
• Inclusion Working Group: Meeting Materials (4/27/20)
  

Meeting 6: May 11, 2020 - Meeting Materials & Meeting Minutes

• Funding Adequacy Working Group: Meeting Materials (6/1/20)
  
• Funding Mechanism Working Group: Meeting Materials (6/10/20)
  
• Management & Oversight Working Group: Meeting Materials (6/8/20)
  
• Inclusion Working Group: Meeting Materials (6/4/20)
  

Town Halls

The Commission hosted a series of community Town Hall meetings on their draft recommendations. Click on the links below to view the recordings of the Town Hall meetings.

• Town Hall: December 10, 2020
  
• Town Hall: December 16, 2020
  
• Town Hall: January 14, 2021 
  

Commission Resources

Funding Adequacy Working Group

Early Childhood Provider Funding Adequacy Estimation: Community-Based Organizations (06/2020)

Funding Mechanism Working Group

Management & Oversight Working Group

Inclusion Working Group

Stakeholder Submitted Materials

• Child Care Advocates United letter to the Commission
  
• Chicago Tribune Article: Investment in Early Childhood Programs is Good for Illinois' Future
  
• Crisis Nursery Coalition of Illinois letter to the Commission
  
• Fight Crime: Invest in Kids: Public Comments from Randy Yedinak
  
• Gads Hill Center: Public Comments from Maricela Garcia
  
• Illinois Action for Children: Racial equity in child care: Supporting families who use family, friend, and neighbor care
  
• Illinois Education Association: Letter to the Commission in Support of Draft Recommendations 
  
• Illinois Early Childhood Funding Coalition: Focus Groups on Emerging Recommendations 
  
• Illinois Early Childhood Funding Coalition letter to the Commission on implementation
  
• Illinois Early Childhood Funding Coalition letter to the Commission on stakeholder engagement
  
• Illinois Federation of Teachers letter to the Commission
  
• Illinois Head Start Association: Recommendations for the Early Childhood Funding Commission
  
• Jewish Community Center (JCC) Chicago: Letter to the Early Childhood Funding Commission Co-chairs
  
• Jewish United Fund's Early Childhood Collaborative: Letter
  
• Jewish United Fund's Early Childhood Collaborative: One Pager
  
• Latino Policy Forum: Consideration for English Learners in Commission's Final Report
  
• Latino Policy Forum: Public comment on prioritizing English Learners in the early care and education system
  
• Mission Readiness: Public Comments from Brigadier General Stephen Curda
  
• POWER-PAC IL Letter to the Commission on Draft Recommendations
  
• Ready Nation: Public Comments from Lisa Savegnago
  
• Teach Plus Illinois: How lack of pay parity impacts Illinois' early childhood educators
  
• Teach Plus ECE Policy Fellows: Teacher Advisory Council in ECE Policy Making
  
• The Ounce of Prevention Fund, Early Learning Leadership Circle, and Illinois Action for Children: The Importance of Community Collaborations
  
• The Ounce of Prevention Fund: Recommendations to strengthen and expand the Illinois evidence-based home visiting system
  
• Voices for Illinois Children and the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago