CHICAGO —Mayor Lori Lightfoot is encouraging people to enroll their three- and four-year-old children in a Chicago Early Learning preschool program this year.

The city is using an additional $76 million to expand school and community-based programming to help serve an additional 3,000 children this year.

More than 100 pre-kindergarten classrooms have been added throughout the city.

In a statement, the city said “research is clear that high-quality preschool programs prepare children for kindergarten readiness, and that children with access to these programs are less likely to drop out of school, never attend college, or be arrested for a violent crime.”

To learn more about preschool programming in your community, visit www.chicagoearlylearning.org.