Illinois Department of Early Childhood Secretary Teresa Ramos testified to the status of the agency and its budget proposal for the coming year on Tuesday. The agency aims to create efficiencies by taking over various state programs with a focus on early childhood programming from other agencies. It will begin operating in full beginning in the 2027 fiscal year.
State Rep. Blaine Wilhour has been critical of the new government agency since legislation creating it was passed, citing concerns over expanding government and increased overall spending. The first programs to be adopted by the agency include a number of financial assistance programs and day care licensing in the state.
“It doesn’t make any sense on efficiency if it’s not less overall. If we’re just taking their money and putting it somewhere else […] we’re making government way bigger,” Wilhour said.
Wilhour also questioned the purpose of a line in the budget funding a program to assist in early education for the children of low-income seasonal agricultural workers, called Illinois Migrant & Seasonal Head Start, which is currently implemented by IDHS.
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