On May 13, Start Early along with our partners at Child Care For All, Community Organizing and Family Issues / POWER-PAC IL, Evanston Early Childhood Council, Illinois AEYC, Illinois Action For Children, Latino Policy Forum, Raising Illinois, SEIU HCII, United Palatine Coalition, and We, The Village Coalition brought nearly 300 advocates down to Springfield to advocate for Illinois’ youngest learners. Advocates shared their perspectives with legislators on the impact that increased funding for the Early Childhood Block Grant, ECACE, child care, home visiting and Early Intervention would have on Illinois families and providers.
Early Childhood Advocacy Day 2026
Look through photos of advocates across the state who gathered in Springfield on May 13, 2026 to urge legislators to invest in early childhood programs in the FY27 state budget.
Early Childhood Advocacy Day 2026
The spring legislative session will continue through May 31, and we aren’t slowing down our advocacy efforts! Here’s how you can still participate:
- Contact your legislators & urge them to prioritize funding for early childhood programs in the FY27 budget
- If you weren’t able to join the live webinar, the recording of the Advocacy 101 training hosted by our partners at Illinois Action for Children & Latino Policy Forum is a great resource for getting more comfortable communicating with legislators
- Use our social toolkit to share more about the impact of increased early childhood funding with your personal networks
- Share your Early Intervention story to demonstrate the benefits of this crucial program, and the impact of waiting lists & delayed services
- To keep up with the work of the Illinois Policy Team you can also follow along on Twitter/X: @EarlyEdIL
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