Some local daycares are getting state grants in a pilot program for hiring more staff or paying the current staff more. The Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development says Step By Step Aquarius and Step By Step McKinley in Ottawa are part of the program. So are Step By Step in Morris and Prairieland Kids Daycare and Learning Center in Morris. The state is giving $3.8 million to 35 daycare centers across Illinois for a three-year test of improving the quality of service. Money for it comes from state and federal sources.