CHICAGO — Today, Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot in a partnership with Northern Illinois University (NIU), Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS), Carole Robertson Center for Learning, Chicago Commons, Henry Booth House, EasterSeals Serving Chicagoland and Greater Rockford, Start Early, and Third Sector Intelligence (3Si) announced the first publicly viewable Chicago Early Childhood Integrated Data System (CECIDS) data. The interactive data maps provide insights into how many children are eligible for services in each Chicago community and where those services are located. The website, administered by NIU, will continue to be updated as new data becomes available. 

"When I became Mayor, I promised Chicagoans that I would usher in a new generation of transparency in government," said Mayor Lightfoot. "Today, we are delivering on that promise once again, this time for our youngest residents. CECIDS will bring greater visibility to the needs and experiences of Chicago's children, enabling us to improve early childhood services for years to come."   

Launched in 2022, the Chicago Early Childhood Integrated Data System (CECIDS) links data across systems and programs to enable the creation of more timely and actionable data insights that help families, program administrators, funders, advocates, and policymakers. The City is committed to ensuring that Chicago communities receive complete and accurate early childhood data to maximize and equitably allocate resources to support Chicago’s families and their children. CECIDS brings greater visibility into the needs and experiences of all 189,000 children from birth through age five in Chicago. First prototyped by the DFSS, CECIDS is a first of its kind in Chicago and a leading example in integrated data systems in Illinois and nationwide. 

“DFSS is proud to have been a part of CECIDS from the beginning and paving the way for more transparent data management in early childhood education,” said Commissioner Brandie Knazze. “This data is more than just numbers on a screen. It’s information about our children, and our teachers, and ultimately, it leads us to better outcomes for our early learners.” 

CECIDS is a public / private partnership championed by the Mayor’s Office and the following organizations:  

• Carole Robertson Center for Learning (Co-Chair). 
• Chicago Commons. 
• City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS).  
• Chicago Public Schools. 
• Easterseals Serving Chicagoland and Greater Rockford. 
• Henry Booth House. 
• Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA). 
• Start Early. 

“Our mission is to empower families and communities to overcome barriers and thrive. This data is our collective scoreboard for them to use and tell us where we need to add more early childhood programs. I look forward to using this data with our network of providers and families,” said Edgar Ramirez, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Commons. 

CECIDS is supported by the City’s Early Learning Fund administered by the Department of Family and Support Services and philanthropic contributions from the Robert R. McCormick Foundation and Crown Family Philanthropies.  

“Early childhood education is the foundation of an equitable and high-quality education, and CPS is committed to ensuring that every four-year-old in Chicago has the opportunity to attend a free, excellent and full-day preschool,” said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. “As we expand preschool into every Chicago community, CECIDS helps us understand what is needed and how we can better serve our students and families.”