District 65 Saves School Age Child Care

Evanston/Skokie School District 65 will keep its School Age Child Care program after earlier plans called for cutting it.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Child Care

Photograph of a row of wooden cubby hooks holding backpacks and a child's rain jacket in a sunlit school hallway. — Evanston/Skokie School District 65 will keep its School Age Child Care program for kindergarten through fifth grade students after earlier plans called for cutting it. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Evanston/Skokie School District 65 will not cut the School Age Child Care program, which provides before- and after-school care for kindergarten through fifth grade students for a fee. The decision reverses part of sweeping budget cuts proposed at the Oct. 13 board meeting.

Why it matters

Many working parents rely on the before- and after-school program, so its continuation affects daily childcare arrangements for families in the district. The reversal followed work by the Evanston Association of Childcare Professionals with district administrators.

The program serves children in kindergarten through fifth grade and is hosted at King Arts and all elementary schools except Washington. The district's original plan projected $400,000 in annual savings from cutting it.

The players

Evanston/Skokie School District 65

The public school district that operates the School Age Child Care program and proposed the original budget cuts.

Evanston Association of Childcare Professionals

A local association of childcare workers that worked with district administrators to preserve the program.

Illinois Education Association

A statewide teachers' union that issued the press release announcing the decision.

The details

The Evanston Association of Childcare Professionals worked with district administrators to save the School Age Child Care program, and the Illinois Education Association issued a press release announcing the decision. The original budget proposal presented at the Oct. 13 board meeting also included closing Lincolnwood and Dewey elementary schools, which the extraction does not indicate were reversed.

Oct. 13, 2026: Board meeting where sweeping budget cuts, including cuts to School Age Child Care, were proposed.
Nov. 5, 2026: Press release announcing the program would be saved.

Roadmap

Districts facing budget shortfalls often weigh cuts to optional before- and after-school programs against core instruction. This decision shows one district choosing to keep a fee-based family service after advocacy from childcare workers.

Families who use the School Age Child Care program can keep their existing before- and after-school arrangements for their children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Parents should confirm program details directly with the district.

The takeaway

Budget decisions can reshape working families' daily routines, so parents affected by school programs should follow district board meetings and announcements. Advocacy by childcare workers helped change the outcome in this case.