By the time it’s fully operational in 2026, the new Department of Early Childhood will administer programs currently spread across three agencies. That initial cost, estimated at about $13.1 million, is expected to be part of the budget for the next fiscal year, which lawmakers will finalize over the next few weeks.
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.