To formulate the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for Lake County, Lake County Partners convened business, education, workforce development and civic leaders to collaboratively align economic priorities across the region, enrich the talent pipeline, and drive business success. The result was an action‐oriented economic development strategy that builds on existing efforts and spotlights what’s needed to achieve economic prosperity in Lake County.
The CEDS recommended enhancing Lake County’s competitiveness by expanding housing, deepening regional collaboration, and building a cradle-to-career workforce pipeline—from early childhood through adult upskilling. By aligning partners, advocating for strategic investments, and creating clear pathways for both businesses and residents to succeed, LCP is making Lake County a place to live, grow, and advance.
In this blog, we’re taking a close look at Educare Lake County, a state-of-the-art early learning center that organization Start Early is building in deep partnership with the community with the aim of giving every child the opportunity to reach their full potential.
As the nation’s leading early childhood nonprofit, Start Early, is committed to providing inclusive access to quality early learning for children living in under-resourced communities. It is with this spirit that Start Early has embarked on an exciting new project called Educare Lake County. Located between Shiloh Park and Zion Central Middle School, Educare Lake County will serve 174 children ages 6 weeks to five 5-years-old through Early Head Start and Head Start programming. The 38,000 square-foot center will serve as a vibrant hub for early learning, family support and community partnerships. At this facility, families can expect:
- Full-day, year-round programming that supports the schedules of working parents
- 15 developmentally appropriate classrooms, including six preschool rooms and nine infant/toddler rooms
- A dedicated STEAM room, library, indoor and outdoor play spaces, learning garden and community gathering areas
- Highly trained, certified and bilingual teachers and family support staff
To provide immediate support to Lake County families while Educare is being constructed, Start Early has launched and implemented early learning interim programming with the capacity to serve 141 children in Beach Park and Waukegan.
“We know that when young children have access to high-quality early learning experiences, entire communities thrive,” notes Celena Sarillo, the Executive Director of Start Early Illinois. “Start Early is honored to work alongside Lake County leaders, businesses and families to bring a new state-of-the-art early learning center to life – one that expands opportunities for children, supports parents and creates jobs in the community.”
Why Educare Lake County Matters in the Community
Lake County is home to 48,488 children under age 5 representing a new generation of thinkers, creators and leaders, and access to high-quality, affordable child care is integral to their opportunity to succeed.
In 2022, Start Early partnered with leading Lake County philanthropists to assess the county’s early childhood system. The goal of this assessment was to ensure all families and young children are prepared to thrive and to strengthen the county’s long-term social and economic future. Study findings showed a gap between the number of young children in the Lake County area and options for affordable and full-day child care available to them.
Educare Lake County aims to increase access to critical early learning experiences, building on existing efforts in the community to ensure every family in the area has access to safe, trusting, effective and quality early childhood experiences that support the unique needs of every young child.
What Makes Educare Lake County Unique
At the heart of Educare’s model is a simple truth: parents are a child’s first and most important teachers. Educare’s programs pair high-quality learning with strong family partnerships to ensure each child’s development is supported at home and at school. At Educare Lake County, families have access to:
- Dedicated family support specialists
- Parent groups and community events
- A Parent Committee to elevate family voice
- Workshops and developmental resources tailored to early childhood needs
This approach helps build strong relationships, deepens family engagement and supports long-term success for young learners.
Childcare Powered by Community Partnerships
Strong community partners are the building blocks of success for children and strong early childhood systems. Start Early is partnering with local school districts, the Regional Office of Education, colleges and universities, and community organizations across Waukegan, North Chicago, Round Lake and surrounding areas to build a comprehensive network that supports and develops early education leaders and teachers.
This work includes coordinating a Lake County Professional Learning Network to recruit, train, and retain more than 350 early childhood professionals each year, as well as facilitating monthly Professional Learning Communities that deliver high-impact training, align professional development calendars, and foster strong communities of practice across the region.
“I believe that Educare Lake County will help service the whole child. It’s about training educators so that they can be high quality and support the needs of our students so that they’re ready to be successful,” noted Dr. Cheryl Caesar, Assistant Director of Diverse Learners, Waukegan Public Schools at an April 2024 Educare Lake County Community Design Meeting.
The opening of Educare Lake County marks an exciting moment for the region. Community members, employers and supporters have an opportunity to help transform what early childhood education looks like across Lake County.
Start Early is projecting a $25M campaign budget for Educare Lake County based on decades of experience building our own programs and services and consulting others in doing the same. To date, they have raised just over $21M (84%) and are planning to break ground in 2026.
Start Early continues to explore new funding opportunities to ensure they can serve Lake County families as soon as the 2027/2028 school year. Whether you want to invest in the project, get involved in community partnerships or support early childhood educators, your participation can help ensure that every family in Lake County has the resources they need to thrive.
Click here to follow Educare Lake County’s journey, or connect with Managing Director Jane McCarthy at jmccarthy@startearly.org or (312) 348-40 to support the Educare Lake County campaign.