Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Doctor CPS CEO Janice K. Jackson and DFSS Commissioner Lisa Morrison Butler released the following statement in response to Governor J.B. Pritzker’s intent to increase funding for early childhood education in his first budget by adding $100 million to Early Childhood Block Grants, which will support Chicago’s plan for universal pre-K and ensure an additional 2,000 four-year-olds will be able to access full-day pre-K in the 2019-2020 school year. “Chicago is on the path to ensuring universal full-day pre-K for four-year-olds for the first time in our city’s history. Governor Pritzker campaigned on the promise of expanding early childhood education. His first budget will not just keep that promise, it will help Chicago’s children live up to their full promise and potential. This state budget will help Chicago make history, ensure thousands more pre-school students and hundreds of infants and toddlers have access to high quality services, and help every child in every neighborhood start their education on the right foot.”