Since 1970, CNE has been committed to making sure all children in our community, from birth to age five, have access to high quality early education and childcare. We provide no-cost early childhood education to eligible children through federal Head Start/Early Head Start and state Preschool for All programs, and support children and families by connecting them to resources including childcare subsidies and mental health and therapeutic services.
Childcare Network of Evanston centers its grantmaking on early childhood access, with recent awards flowing to child care centers and preschool providers serving children from birth to age five. The foundation’s latest grants show a clear pattern of program assistance for local early education and child care delivery, including repeated support for McGaw YMCA Child Care Center in Evanston and Swift Child Care in Skokie. Those awards align with its broader mission to connect families to childcare subsidies, mental health and therapeutic services, and other supports that help children stay in care. Its portfolio is built around service delivery rather than broad, unrestricted philanthropy. Recent grants also support Reba Early Learning Center, Child Care Center of Evanston, Toddler Town Day Care Inc, Puerta Abierta Preschool, Zubaira & Mohammad Waraich Child CA, and Infant Welfare Society. The recurring use of program assistance suggests a funder that works through existing early learning providers and funds direct operations tied to access and quality. Founded in 1970, Childcare Network of Evanston has maintained a consistent focus on children and families in its community, with all recent grants going to Illinois recipients.
Early childhood education is the center of the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $735,446 to McGaw YMCA Child Care Center for Program Assistance and $655,299 to Swift Child Care for Program Assistance, both supporting child care delivery in the region. The foundation also funds preschool and early learning operations. Reba Early Learning Center received $307,521 for Program Assistance, while Puerta Abierta Preschool received $65,370 for the same purpose. A separate stream supports infant and toddler care: Toddler Town Day Care Inc received $101,442, and Infant Welfare Society received $38,658. Child care access remains another clear theme. Child Care Center of Evanston received $117,760 for Program Assistance, and Zubaira & Mohammad Waraich Child CA received $48,261. Across these awards, the funder uses project-linked support to help local providers sustain early education services.
Typical grants cluster at a median of $112,415, with a lower quartile of $59,624 and an upper quartile of $448,965. That spread shows a mix of mid-sized operating support and larger awards to core providers. The recent record also points to continuity: several organizations appear across 2023, 2024, and 2025, often with similar program-assistance language. Childcare Network of Evanston is a regular funder, not a DAF or PRI vehicle, and it gives locally. The grants shown are restricted or project-based in structure, with program assistance used repeatedly. Funding is directed to organizations rather than individuals.
$2M
$1.1M
$4M
$4M
Most grants fall between $60K and $449K, with a median of $112K.
25th Percentile
$60K
Median
$112K
75th Percentile
$449K
Carol Teske
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Grantmaking is fully concentrated in Illinois, with 100% of recent grants going to recipients in the state. The strongest local cluster is Evanston, where recipients include McGaw YMCA Child Care Center, Reba Early Learning Center, Child Care Center of Evanston, Toddler Town Day Care Inc, Puerta Abierta Preschool, Zubaira & Mohammad Waraich Child CA, and Infant Welfare Society. Skokie also appears through Swift Child Care. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
The foundation backs early childhood education, Head Start and Early Head Start, Preschool for All, home visiting and parent education, child care subsidies, mental health and therapeutic services for young children, and family support services. Recent grants show those priorities expressed through program assistance to local child care and preschool providers.
Typical grant size is $59,624 at the 25th percentile, $112,415 at the median, and $448,965 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards range from smaller grants in the tens of thousands to larger operating-style support above $700,000.
No recent grants in the dataset go outside Illinois. The geographic scope of giving is local, and 100% of the grants shown went to recipients in Illinois.
The foundation uses programmatic support and restricted or project-based grants. The recent grants are consistently labeled Program Assistance or Early Education and Child Care Assistance, which points to direct support for service delivery rather than general-purpose philanthropy.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Childcare Network of Evanston that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Low-income working families must provide income documentation and proof of employment or school enrollment and cost-share on a sliding scale based on family size, income, and number of children in care.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swift Child Care | Skokie, IL | $615,642 | 2026 | Program Assistance |
| McGaw YMCA Child Care Center | Evanston, IL | $583,388 | 2026 | Program Assistance |
| Reba Early Learning Center | Evanston, IL | $364,713 | 2026 | Program Assistance |
| Toddler Town Day Care Inc | Evanston, IL | $166,759 | 2026 | Program Assistance |
| Child Care Center of Evanston | Evanston, IL | $125,576 | 2026 | Program Assistance |
| Infant Welfare Society | Evanston, IL | $74,603 | 2026 | Program Assistance |
| Puerta Abierta Preschool | Evanston, IL | $68,500 | 2026 | Program Assistance |
| McGaw YMCA Child Care Center | Evanston, IL | $735,446 | 2025 | Program Assistance |
| Swift Child Care | Skokie, IL | $655,299 | 2025 | Program Assistance |
| Reba Early Learning Center | Evanston, IL | $297,488 | 2025 | Program Assistance |
| Child Care Center of Evanston | Evanston, IL | $112,678 | 2025 | Program Assistance |
| Toddler Town Day Care Inc | Evanston, IL | $101,442 | 2025 | Program Assistance |
| Puerta Abierta Preschool | Evanston, IL | $65,370 | 2025 | Program Assistance |
| Infant Welfare Society | Evanston, IL | $38,658 | 2025 | Program Assistance |
| SWIFT CHILD CARE | SKOKIE, IL | $598,370 | 2024 | PROGRAM ASSISTANCE |
| MCGAW YMCA CHILD CARE CENTER | EVANSTON, IL | $584,794 | 2024 | PROGRAM ASSISTANCE |
| REBA EARLY LEARNING CENTER | EVANSTON, IL | $307,521 | 2024 | PROGRAM ASSISTANCE |
| CHILD CARE CENTER OF EVANSTON | EVANSTON, IL | $117,760 | 2024 | PROGRAM ASSISTANCE |
| TODDLER TOWN DAY CARE INC | EVANSTON, IL | $62,774 | 2024 | PROGRAM ASSISTANCE |
| PUERTA ABIERTA PRESCHOOL | EVANSTON, IL | $61,045 | 2024 | PROGRAM ASSISTANCE |
| ZUBAIRA & MOHAMMAD WARAICH CHILD CA | EVANSTON, IL | $48,261 | 2024 | PROGRAM ASSISTANCE |
| INFANT WELFARE SOCIETY | EVANSTON, IL | $35,358 | 2024 | PROGRAM ASSISTANCE |
| SWIFT CHILD CARE | SKOKIE, IL | $555,470 | 2023 | EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE |
| MCGAW YMCA CHILD CARE CENTER | EVANSTON, IL | $496,113 | 2023 | EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE |
| REBA EARLY LEARNING CENTER | EVANSTON, IL | $289,434 | 2023 | EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE |
| CHILDCARE CENTER OF EVANSTON | EVANSTON, IL | $112,152 | 2023 | EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE |
| TODDLER TOWN DAY CARE INC | EVANSTON, IL | $59,150 | 2023 | EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE |
| PUERTA ABIERTA PRESCHOOL | EVANSTON, IL | $58,138 | 2023 | EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE |
| INFANT WELFARE SOCIETY OF EVANSTON INC | EVANSTON, IL | $33,674 | 2023 | EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE |
Swift Child Care
$615,642Program Assistance
Reba Early Learning Center
$364,713Program Assistance
Toddler Town Day Care Inc
$166,759Program Assistance
Child Care Center of Evanston
$125,576Program Assistance
Program Assistance
Puerta Abierta Preschool
$68,500Program Assistance
Swift Child Care
$655,299Program Assistance
Reba Early Learning Center
$297,488Program Assistance
Child Care Center of Evanston
$112,678Program Assistance
Toddler Town Day Care Inc
$101,442Program Assistance
Puerta Abierta Preschool
$65,370Program Assistance
SWIFT CHILD CARE
$598,370PROGRAM ASSISTANCE
REBA EARLY LEARNING CENTER
$307,521PROGRAM ASSISTANCE
CHILD CARE CENTER OF EVANSTON
$117,760PROGRAM ASSISTANCE
TODDLER TOWN DAY CARE INC
$62,774PROGRAM ASSISTANCE
PUERTA ABIERTA PRESCHOOL
$61,045PROGRAM ASSISTANCE
ZUBAIRA & MOHAMMAD WARAICH CHILD CA
$48,261PROGRAM ASSISTANCE
SWIFT CHILD CARE
$555,470EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE
REBA EARLY LEARNING CENTER
$289,434EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE
CHILDCARE CENTER OF EVANSTON
$112,152EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE
TODDLER TOWN DAY CARE INC
$59,150EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE
PUERTA ABIERTA PRESCHOOL
$58,138EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE
EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE
