Reports

​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. 

This report by ChiByDesign, a civic and social impact design firm, is the result of three co-design workshops that placed lived experts— families and early childhood providers-- at the forefront of shaping the Illinois Department of Early Childhood. The workshops, that used an anti-racist and trauma- informed co-design approach, led to the creation of key drivers and design principles that will be used to inform and guide IDEC’s transition efforts. Additionally, co-designers developed three innovative concepts to address challenges faced by families and early education providers, offering a glimpse into the stakeholder-driven solutions that IDEC aims to implement.