Evanston will soon be able to offer parents a new choice in early childhood education — universal access.

On Dec. 18, Illinois first lady Lura Lynn Ryan announced that Evanston/Skokie School District 65, in conjunction with Early Childhood Collaboration, an existing early education program in Evanston, will be one of six pilot sites for Illinois Preschool, a new state-funded program offering universal access to preschool programs.

“I think this is a really important thing that Evanston and the state of Illinois can pride themselves in rolling out,” said Martha Arntson, executive director of the Childcare Network of Evanston. “Parents of young children will truly benefit from it. It gives opportunity to families to access early learning that they might not have otherwise been able to.”

Evanston and District 65 currently offer a variety of full- and partial-day childcare and preschool services, in addition to the federal Head Start program, Arntson said.

Most children entering elementary school already have some early childhood education or group-learning experience, she said. But there are still some Evanston children who do not have access to preschool programs.

District 65 Superintendent Hardy Murphy said the program “should enable (the district) to improve the transition from preschool to kindergarten so that students are better prepared for success.”

Murphy spearheaded the creation of the Early Childhood Collaboration in 2000 in an attempt to coordinate efforts between early childhood providers by training caregivers and organizing curricula.

Arntson said the Collaboration is one of the key reasons Evanston was considered for the pilot program.

She added that every Illinois Preschool program tries to offer at least a half-day of “high-quality programming” with a coordinated curriculum and qualified professional educators. It will also allow parents of middle- and lower-income families to send their children to preschool.

Marla Israel, the District 65 early childhood coordinator, said the program should “reach families who are too wealthy to qualify for Head Start but not wealthy enough to afford a preschool program — the working middle class who often get forgotten.

“It is important for kids to socialize,” she said. “If you’re in the middle class, that becomes a luxury you can’t afford.”

The 10-year Illinois Preschool program will add more communities each year until it becomes statewide in 2012. However, Israel said funding remains an obstacle. Currently, $5.2 million in state funds have been appropriated for the program’s first year.

“It was approved in the 12th hour,” Israel said. “Money is approved for this year, but a new governor is being inaugurated on Monday, and this isn’t his baby.”

Even if funding is cut off, Israel said the community will feel the benefits of the first year of the program’s implementation.

“I think that, as a community, this is a major opportunity to ensure success for all our kids,” she said.