Amends the Department of Early Childhood Act. Requires the Department of Early Childhood to establish and administer, subject to appropriation, a competitive grant program to support the development or enhancement of nonprofit organizations or community-based organizations providing early childhood resources or services. Provides that grant funds shall be made available to each eligible entity upon completion of an application process that is consistent with Department rules. Sets forth application requirements. Requires the Department to adopt rules as may be necessary to implement the amendatory Act, including, but not limited to, rules on the identification of additional prioritization areas for each competitive grant application cycle that are within the scope of the authorized uses. Provides that priority consideration for all applications shall be given for proposals that intend to serve a majority of families with racial or ethnic identities that are underrepresented in the early childhood system.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 325 ILCS 3/1