The City of Chicago is committed to providing children across the city with access to high-quality early learning through a comprehensive, citywide system of school- and community-based programs known as Chicago Early Learning (CEL). The Children Service Division (CSD) at the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) administers funding to all community-based CEL programs. CSD’s efforts to build this strong system of services are guided by the following three priorities:

• Maximize access to high quality early learning programs by matching investments to the needs of local communities and reducing the barriers to entry for children and families;
• Improve the comprehensiveness and quality of early learning across all programs to ensure that children and families’ needs are met; and
• Create a strong system of service providers by increasing support and reducing the administrative burden for community-based providers of early learning

CEL Website & Hotline - ChicagoEarlyLearning.org, Hotline: 312-229-1690

The CEL hotline and website are top resources for accessing CEL programs and services like the early learning application, program map and more. 

CEL Program Implementation Manual - Chicago Early Learning Standards Manual (CELS) 2.0

The Manual has been a group effort—the result of thoughtful input from staff of the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) Children Services Division, the Chicago Public Schools Community Partnership Program, and Head Start, Early Head Start, Pre-School for All, and Prevention Initiative delegate agencies. The Manual provides guidance of program implementation for all Chicago Early Learning programs.

CEL Extended Partnerships - Click here to read news release

The City extended funding for 25 early-learning program providers that saw a decrease of more than 20% in funding as a result of the 2019 CEL RFP process. The City extended funding for those providers to 80% of their existing contract level through June 30, 2020, which allowed children and families to remain in their current programs through the program year.

FAQ on Extended Partnerships

Baker McKenzie's CEL RFP Process Assessment - Click here to read the report

In an effort to address the integrity of the 2019 CEL RFP process, DFSS retained law firm Baker McKenzie in a pro bono capacity to conduct an independent review of the Early Learning RFP process. Specifically, Baker McKenzie was requested to assess DFSS's RFP to consider whether DFSS had a process for the RFP and adhered to that process in its selection of provider agencies.

Baker McKenzie concluded that the CEL RFP process was appropriate, fair and unbiased. Baker McKenzie’s determined that the CEL RFP process was reasonably designed, that DFSS adhered to the process set out in the RFP and that DFSS demonstrated a commitment to bring objectivity, impartiality and a level playing field to the RFP process.

FAQs on the Baker McKenzie Process Assessment

CEL 2019 Request for Proposal (RFP) - Click here for RFP Details

In April 2019, DFSS released the Chicago Early Learning RFP.  This RFP, the first in roughly seven years, asked early-childhood education organizations to submit proposals that embraced:

• Advancing kindergarten readiness,
• Providing access to high-quality Chicago Early Learning programs in community-based organizations in neighborhoods across the city,
• Improving quality standards: lower child-to-adult ratios, raising staff qualifications, increasing teacher salary minimums, prioritizing education/appropriate early learning services, etc., and
• Maximizing funding streams: blending of federal and state dollars in order to fund early learning at the level necessary to deliver quality education.  

CEL RFP Guidance

CEL RFP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The Context

The service philosophy of the City of Chicago and CEL is that children of all backgrounds require quality early learning experiences to promote their social emotional, physical, language and cognitive development. The roll out of Universal Pre-K (UPK4) in communities across the city and new, state policies that allow children to enroll in kindergarten earlier will shape a new early childhood ecosystem that community-based programs and public schools must respond to. In the 2017-2018 school year, all kindergarten teachers in Illinois began observing their students on a common set of developmental measures using the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS). According to the KIDS study, only 22% of African-American children and 15% of Hispanic children are considered school-ready when they show up on the first day of kindergarten.

Competitive Process

DFSS received close to 250 proposals from over 150 different agencies. 

The Funding

Through this RFP, DFSS distributed to community-based agencies $193,147,500 in funding to support early learning services for children birth to five. In federal funding, this includes $80,884,000 in Head Start, $25,587,000 in Early Head Start, $12,281,500 in Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership, and in state funding this include $32,049,000 in Preschool for All, and $42,346,000 in Prevention Initiative.

The Effective Date

DFSS granted extensions to state funded programs (PFA/PI), and all current grantees will be funded through November 30, 2019. DFSS will work with agencies that are not being funded in the new contract to develop customized transition plans for both families and agencies over the next three months.

The Increased Investment in Early Learning

Across the city there was an increase of nearly 1,600 early learning slots in community-based agencies through the RFP. While some communities did, in fact, see a reduction in funding as a result of the RFP, others saw an increase. Increases and decreases by community were due to many factors, including the quantity and quality of application by community area, the targeted populations by community area, community area need and capacity. Through the RFP, funded agencies are being better compensated for services for each slot. The increased teacher salaries and higher quality standards were the reasons DFSS increased the cost per child, or reimbursement rate, across programs as illustrated below.

For preschool services:

For infant/toddler services: