INSTITUTE FOR POLICY RESEARCH

Early Care and Education Trends in Chicago’s 47th Ward

Report finds increase in pre-K capacity due to growth in community-based childcare

IPR developmental psychologist Terri Sabol and IPR economist Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach recently released a new IPR rapid research report, “The Chicago Universal Pre-K Study: “Early Care and Education.” It examines the early care and education market in the 47th Ward on Chicago’s North Side, which covers much of the Lincoln Square and Ravenswood neighborhoods, from 2015–16 to 2021–22. 

In the 2021–22 school year, six Chicago Public Schools (CPS) in the 47th Ward provided prekindergarten (pre-K) for 3- and 4-year-olds. In addition, 30 community-based organizations (CBOs), including center-based and family childcare providers, offered care for children up to age 5. In 2021–22, the average capacity for CBO childcare was 72 seats and the average capacity for CPS pre-K providers was 41 seats.

Pre-K capacity stayed mostly steady from 2015–16 to 2021–22 in CPS school programs, with a notable decline in 2020–21 due to COVID-19. The composition of seats, however, changed significantly. Over the 2018–19 school year, Chicago began expanding free, full-day pre-K for 4-year-olds through CPS, a policy known as Universal Prekindergarten or UPK. CPS schools in the 47th Ward converted most free, half-day seats to full-day seats.

Overall, capacity in CBO childcare providers increased by 126% and contributed to a 104% increase in total capacity. Over this period, the population of children under the age of 5 in the 47th Ward remained steady at roughly 4,000.

The level of enrollment in CPS pre-K schools was relatively stable, with increases in free, full-day enrollment offset by declines in the number of children attending half-day pre-K and tuition-based pre-K—except for the 2020–21 school year.

The authors demonstrate that pre-K capacity in the six CPS schools held steady since 2015–16; however, following the UPK expansion in 2018–19, the CPS schools in the 47th Ward converted many free, half-day seats to full-day seats and phased out tuition-based pre-K entirely by 2021–22. While school-based capacity remained steady, community-based providers significantly increased their capacity to create an overall increase in pre-K seats in the 47th Ward.

The report covers these topics:

• CPS Pre-K Capacity in the 47th Ward, 2015–16 to 2021–22
• Total Early Care and Education Capacity in the 47th Ward, 2015–16 to 2021–22
• CPS Pre-K Enrollment in 47th Ward, 2015–16 to 2021–22

Read the report here.

Photo credit: iStock

Published: August 24, 2023.