Lily Padula from The Civic Federation is a Policy & Research Associate, where she assists in the research and analysis of state and local government budgets, appropriations data, and funding trends. Lily is the primary author on Civic Federation’s 2026 report titled Illinois Early Childhood Landscape. “Each year, the State administers nearly $3 billion in federal, state, and local resources across preschool, child care assistance, early intervention services, home visiting, behavioral health, and other early childhood services. Despite significant investment and recent policy momentum, the system continues to face persistent gaps in access, workforce instability, rising costs, and longstanding inequities. As Illinois transitions to the new Department of Early Childhood (IDEC), understanding these underlying conditions is essential to shaping a more coordinated, responsive, and equitable statewide system.”