Between 2000 and 2010, the foreign born population in Illinois increased by over 200,000, and the number of young dual language learners (DLLs) also grew. By 2015, DLLs were thought to account for more than a quarter of the state's three- and four-year-olds. In addition, more K-12 children in Illinois were being designated as English learners and were performing at persistently low levels on standardized measures of grade 4 reading and mathematics. This article discusses how Illinois has responded to growing diversity of its youngsters with initiatives to increase workforce skills.