Research Library
October 29, 2026
Illinois Early Childhood System Scorecard: Establishing a Baseline for the Transition to IDEC
Illinois is reorganizing its early childhood system through the creation of the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC). As programs, funding, and administrative responsibilities move into a more unified structure, there is a need for a clear starting point against which future progress can be assessed. This report establishes that baseline for policymakers, system leaders, providers, advocates, and others seeking to understand how Illinois’ early childhood system is performing at the outset of the transition.
Featured Reports & Analysis
October 01, 2026
Five Things to Watch for in Chicago’s FY2027 Budget
The City of Chicago’s FY2027 budget process is now underway, with the Mayor expected to introduce a proposed budget to the City Council in October. The process began with the release of the City’s Budget Forecast, which provides the first detailed look at the financial challenges facing the City in the coming fiscal year. The forecast projects an $882.4 million budget deficit for FY2027 - nearly $284 million less than the $1.15 billion gap projected last year for FY2026, but still one of the largest projected deficits in the City’s history.
September 15, 2026
Estimated Full Value of Real Property in Cook County: 2006-2024
Full value studies estimate the market value of residential and commercial real estate within a taxing district. The full market value of real estate is an indicator of regional economic health, the size of the property tax base, and how property tax burdens are allocated across taxpayers. This measure provides a point-in-time snapshot of the estimated value of the property tax base, and allows for examining trends to show how market values have changed over time and whether the assessment burden has shifted between different geographic areas and property classes.
The Civic Federation annually estimates the full market value of real estate in Cook County. Data is presented for Cook County as a whole, as well as within Cook County’s three assessment districts, referred to as triads: the City of Chicago, Northwest Cook County suburbs, and Southwest Cook County suburbs. This report also breaks down the estimated full value of property by assessment class (type of property).
August 20, 2026
Video Gaming in Chicago: Where Things Stand
The 2026 Chicago City budget authorized video gaming within the City of Chicago (Chicago or the ‘City’) and relied on the projected revenue from licensing fees to help balance the alternative budget ultimately passed into law in December 2025 by the City Council without the signature of the Mayor. Since passage, the video gaming revenue has been the subject of recurring debate and controversy between the Mayor, the City Council, Bally’s, and others. However, that debate has occurred without full public-facing information and analysis needed to make informed policy decisions. This report breaks down what video gaming is, how it became legalized in Chicago last year, how the political debate played out, and what is needed from a public and fiscal policy perspective at this fragile moment as the City approaches an already complicated FY2027 budget season.
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