Start Early Breaks Ground on Educare Lake County, Expanding Access to High-Quality Early Learning for Children and Families

New state-of-the-art birth-to-5 school will serve 174 children, while advancing family support, workforce development and community-wide early learning partnerships across Lake County

CHICAGO, May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Start Early welcomed local leaders and community partners to break ground on Educare Lake County, a new state-of-the-art early childhood program in Zion that will provide early learning and comprehensive family support services for children from birth to age 5.

Developed by Start Early more than 25 years ago, the Educare model has become a national standard for excellence in early childhood education – grounded in continuous learning, data-informed practice, embedded professional development and deep partnerships with families. What began with Educare Chicago, the nation's first purpose-built birth-to-age-5 school, has since grown into a nationwide network of 27 Educare programs for families in historically under-resourced communities.

Now, Start Early is bringing the same evidence-based model to Lake County through broader community-wide investment not only to expand access to high-quality early learning, but also to strengthen family supports, build a highly skilled early childhood workforce and deepen collaboration across local schools, service providers and community organizations.

Located at 1800 27th Street in Zion, Illinois, between Shiloh Park and Zion Central Middle Schools, Educare Lake County will serve 174 children, ages 6 weeks to 5 years old, and their families when it opens in late 2027. The approximately 38,000-square-foot school will feature full-day, year-round programming, developmentally appropriate early learning classrooms, a STEAM room and library, indoor and outdoor play spaces and dedicated community gathering and family support spaces. The school will be staffed by caring, certified bilingual teachers and professionals reflective of the community it serves.

"Educare Lake County represents what is possible when communities come together around a shared commitment to children and families," Start Early President Diana Rauner said. "The Educare model's strength has always come from listening to and learning alongside the communities it serves.
We are proud to partner with families, providers and local leaders across Lake County to help build a program that reflects the needs and hopes of the community and expands access to the high-quality early care and learning every child deserves."

A 2023 assessment identified Lake County as a child care desert, where there are far fewer quality early learning and care options than the number of young children who need them, leaving many families without access to reliable, affordable care. Start Early's commitment to bringing Educare Lake County to the region reflects a broader effort of local partners and community organization to address those gaps. While the permanent site is under development, Start Early opened interim Early Learning Centers in Beach Park and Waukegan in 2024 to begin building relationships with and learning from the community and to more immediately increase available services for families with young children.

"Today's groundbreaking reflects years of collaboration and a shared commitment to families across Zion and Lake County," Zion Mayor Billy McKinney said. "Educare Lake County will help ensure more children have the strong start they deserve – supporting working parents, strengthening the local workforce and building a stronger, more vibrant community for generations to come."

Educare Lake County will also advance workforce development efforts by helping recruit, develop and retain highly skilled early childhood educators. In addition, Start Early will provide coaching, professional development and career pathway opportunities for educators and will work with local partners to address longstanding workforce challenges, including low wages, limited access to education and high turnover across the early childhood field.

Educare Lake County is supported by a leadership investment from John and Kathy Schreiber. Lead supporters for Educare Lake County also include the Klaff Family Foundation, Gorter Family Foundation, Hunter Family Foundation, The Steans Family, Richard and Margaret Romano Charitable Trust, Nancy & Steve Crown, The Hasten Foundation and Vivo Foundation. Together, their support contributes to a broader public-private effort in the region to expand access to high-quality early education and family support services for young children and families.

For more than four decades, Start Early has worked alongside families, educators and communities to expand access to quality early learning and care – building the strong foundations every child needs to thrive.

For more information on Start Early, visit www.startearly.org.

About Start Early: Start Early is a nonprofit public-private partnership advancing quality early learning and care for families with children, before birth through their earliest years, to help close the opportunity gap. For nearly 45 years, Start Early has delivered best-in-class doula, home visiting and Early Head Start and Head Start programs. Bringing expertise in program delivery, research and evaluation, professional development and policy and advocacy, Start Early works in partnership with communities and other experts to drive systemic change so millions more children, families and educators can thrive. Learn more at StartEarly.org.

MEDIA CONTACT
Rachel Chick
847-331-5861
[email protected]

SOURCE Start Early