University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign

Data Availability

IECAM provides core early childhood demographic and service data via its database. Below are charts and additional information that describe the availability of this core data by year and region.

Geographic regions can change year-to-year

While the state and county borders do not change, every year there are a number of municipalities, townships, and school districts that are created, eliminated, merged, or split—or that change their name. And every 10 years, the district maps change for the state legislature and U.S. Congress. In the online database, search results present data for whatever areas exist, and only the areas that exist, in a selected year. Therefore, for example, if you’re searching by municipality for 2020 and a municipality was incorporated only in 2021, you will not find that municipality in the 2020 data. 

Fiscal year data are received during the next fiscal year

IECAM does not have early care and education data for the current year because IECAM receives these data from agencies near the end of the following fiscal year (FY). Likewise, IECAM gets demographic data from the U.S. Census after (typically) end-of-the year releases, between one and two years (depending on the geographic region) after the target year. For example, demographic data for 2019 appeared around the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021. Note that the U.S. Census data release schedule has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Curated Data, Maps, and Charts

    Maps, charts, and additional data sets to help paint a more comprehensive picture of the early childhood landscape in Illinois.

  • TIGER/Line Shapefiles

    IECAM generally uses Census Bureau maps. TIGER maps, by the U.S. Census Bureau, are produced for every year and include any changes to geographic regions (townships, municipalities, school districts, etc.) for the year.