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Published on November 13, 2024
Mayor Brandon Johnson Unveils Inclusive ECRC Strategic Framework to Boost Early Education in ChicagoSource: Facebook/Chicago Mayor's Office

Mayor Brandon Johnson and Every Child Ready Chicago (ECRC) are making moves to permanently enrich early childhood education in the Windy City. At the second annual Early Childhood Town Hall, hosted at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Mayor Johnson, alongside ECRC, introduced the ECRC Strategic Framework, a robust roadmap aimed at building a stronger, more inclusive, and equitable early learning landscape in Chicago. According to a press release on the city's official website, this framework is the culmination of collective priorities shared among the administration and the community.

"This Town Hall is an essential opportunity to come together with community leaders, parents and educators to strengthen our early education and family support systems as we look toward a brighter future through 2025 and beyond," Mayor Brandon Johnson said, as stated by the  City of Chicago. The event, held on November 13, also paid homage to Barbara Taylor Bowman, a pioneer of early childhood education, whose legacy the Mayor underscored as a guiding light for the city's dedication to educational equity.

ECRC, a collaboration between the Mayor’s Office and Start Early, stands focused on preparing every child in Chicago for kindergarten success, aligning support systems for children and families from prenatal to five years of age. Throughout the town hall, updates and presentations were provided by agencies including the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, Chicago Department of Public Health, Chicago Public Schools, and various early childhood partners such as Birth to Five Illinois and the Center for Early Learning Funding Equity.

Attendees were not only just informed about the current state of the city's early childhood programs; they were actively engaging in discussions about the role of the ECRC Strategic Framework in shaping the future. Reflecting the spirit of community involvement, Nakisha S. Harris Hobbs, CEO and Founder of It Takes a Village (ITAV), expressed support for the new strategic direction. "As a member of Mayor Johnson’s education transition committee, I am proud to support this strategic framework that reflects the administration’s commitment to transparency and genuine community engagement," Harris Hobbs said in the release. Additionally, the continuing work of the ECRC Working Group promises to guide the city in fostering an equitable early childhood system, creating pathways for all young Chicagoans to thrive.