Illinois’ New Department of Early Childhood
By Lily Padula Illinois is in the process of consolidating early childhood services into a new agency, the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC). The Department will assume…
By Lily Padula Illinois is in the process of consolidating early childhood services into a new agency, the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC). The Department will assume…
by Daniel Vesecky Note: This summary was prepared in advance of the November 10, 2025, hearing to serve as an easy reference for City Council members, media, advocates, and Chicago residents.With the City of Chicago (Chicago or the ‘…
by Grant McClintock Most of the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD, or the ‘Department’) spending (96.5%) is budgeted through the City’s Corporate Fund, or general operating fund. This analysis provides a snapshot of CPD spending within…
by Daniel VeseckyIn 2019, the City of Chicago (Chicago or the ‘City’) had a budget of $8.9 billion, excluding grants from the State of Illinois (Illinois or the ‘State’) and the Federal government. By 2025, expenditures had grown to $12.4…
by Roland Calia Illinois has nearly 9,000 local governments — far more than any other state. This proliferation of governments…
by Grant McClintock Download the report summarySee the Civic Federation's…
by Grant McClintockChicago is the only major city in the United States that operates without a constitution, which, for cities, is referred to as a charter. This absence is not just an anomaly; it fundamentally impacts every aspect of our…
The Civic Federation’s Local Pension Dashboard is intended for use as a resource and educational tool to increase the accessibility of local pension fund data. The dashboard reports metrics for the ten major local pension funds within the…
By Lily PadulaDownload a PDF of the report here.Equity-based budgeting is a framework for distributing government resources in a way…