Urge Congress to Protect Head Start! Tell Congress that flat funding for Head Start would strain 1,600 programs nationwide and reduce access to quality early learning for children and families. 📢 ➡️ Take action today: https://bit.ly/487Rmse
Start Early
Non-profit Organizations
Chicago, Illinois 26,389 followers
Champions for Early Learning
About us
Start Early (formerly known as the Ounce of Prevention) is a nonprofit public-private partnership advancing quality early learning and care for families with children, before birth through their earliest years, to help close the opportunity gap. For nearly 40 years, Start Early has delivered best-in-class doula, home visiting and Early Head Start and Head Start programs. Bringing expertise in program delivery, research and evaluation, professional development and policy and advocacy, Start Early works in partnership with communities and other experts to drive systemic change so that millions more children, families and educators can thrive. Learn more at StartEarly.org.
- Website
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http://www.startearly.org
External link for Start Early
- Industry
- Non-profit Organizations
- Company size
- 201-500 employees
- Headquarters
- Chicago, Illinois
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 1982
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
1 N Dearborn St
Suite 700
Chicago, Illinois 60602, US
Employees at Start Early
Updates
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Urge Congress to Protect Early Intervention! Tell Congress to increase IDEA funding to address chronic underfunding and meet the demand for Early Intervention services for infants and toddlers. 📢 ➡️ Take action today: https://bit.ly/4mvZLeU
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Home visiting is a proven strategy for strengthening families and improving outcomes for young children. As we recognize National Home Visiting Week, we’re proud to join Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals in celebrating the impact of evidence-based programs that connect families with trusted support, resources and guidance during the earliest, most critical years. This momentum continues at the National Home Visiting Summit, Sept. 29-30 in Baltimore, MD, where leaders from across the country will convene to advance policy, research, and practice — and expand access to high-quality home visiting services. Together, these efforts highlight the impact of home visiting field and the opportunity to build stronger systems tomorrow. Learn more about the 2026 Summit: https://bit.ly/4oJSvw8
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Start Early reposted this
Yesterday, I had the privilege of joining our partners CAKES body, Moms First and TOOTRiS at the #CAKESChildcareMovement Summit, alongside leaders across sectors committed to strengthening the future of child care. At the center of this conversation is a critical truth, high-quality early learning and care is foundational to children’s development and family stability. Too many families still face limited access to consistent, quality options during the earliest and most critical years of life. At the same time, child care is essential to broader economic stability. Women’s workforce participation depends on reliable systems that families can trust, and businesses thrive when parents can fully participate in the labor force. What was clear in our discussion is that we need both near-term action and long-term solutions. Employers can provide immediate support and demonstrate what is possible. Philanthropy can prototype and strengthen models rooted in quality. And policy must scale systems that ensure children receive the care and early learning experiences they deserve. I’m grateful to be part of a growing movement of leaders and partners committed to building a child care system that works better for children, families and communities. #Start Early
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Start Early reposted this
Today I was honored to participate as a panelist at the #CAKESChildcareMovement Summit—joining our partners at CAKES body Moms First, and TOOTRiS, alongside industry leaders and early childhood advocates for an important conversation about the state of child care in this country. Child care shouldn’t cost you your career. What CAKES Body is doing to advance employer-led solutions is both bold and necessary. These efforts matter—not only because they support working families today, but because they help build momentum toward something bigger: a future where early learning and care is treated as a true public good. At Start Early, our focus is clear—expanding access to high-quality early childhood programs while advancing policies that make child care more affordable. Our long-term goal is to help transform early education and care into a publicly funded, prenatal-to-age-five continuum where every child has the opportunity to thrive. Grateful to be in conversation with leaders across the country committed to moving this work forward—and to CAKES Body for helping push the conversation in such a meaningful way. #StartEarly
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Becoming a parent is one of life’s most important — and challenging — moments. Too often, families are expected to navigate pregnancy, infancy and early childhood without the supports they truly need. That’s why home visiting matters. By partnering with families from pregnancy through a child’s earliest years, home visitors support healthy parent-child relationships, promote development and encourage family well-being — building a strong foundation for lifelong success. In honor of the dedicated home visitors who show up for families every day, we invite parents and caregivers to share their stories. Share your story: https://bit.ly/4swU6qq #NationalHomeVisitingWeek #NHVW2026
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Celebrate a home visitor in your life during #NationalHomeVisitingWeek! Home visitors play an important role in the lives of families across the country. Start Early is proud to support home visitors nationwide — alongside Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals — this week and every week. #NHVW #NationalHomeVisitingWeek #NHVW2026 #HomeVisitingWorks #HomeVisitingHeroes
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We are thrilled to partner with CAKES body, Moms First and TOOTRiS at the #CAKESChildcareMovement Summit today. Leaders from across the business, policy and philanthropy joined us to talk about what’s working, and what still needs to change. Too often employers and families carry the burden of child care because the system itself is broken. Child care isn’t a perk. It’s a workforce infrastructure. Right now, too many families are forces to make impossible choices between their careers and care. We are proud to have Celena Sarillo, Nadia G., Diana Rauner, Donna Bilhorn and Anna Briggs Pirila, MBA representing Start Early in these conversations along with employers, policymakers, press and influential parents committed to advocacy and advancing employer-led childcare solutions.
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Urge Congress to protect home visiting! Tell Congress to reject cuts to maternal and infant health programs and safeguard essential supports for families during pregnancy and early childhood. 📢 ➡️ Take action today: https://lnkd.in/g6qkA6Jv
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The President’s FY27 budget proposal falls short for families—and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Proposed cuts and flat funding for critical prenatal-to-five programs would mean fewer children and families can access the supports they need to thrive. From Head Start to home visiting to Early Intervention, these investments are foundational to strong communities and a healthy economy. At a time when families are already navigating rising costs, this proposal would: • Strain early learning programs like Head Start • Weaken maternal and infant health supports • Limit access to services for young children with disabilities • Undermine families’ ability to meet their basic needs like food, health care and utilities We know what works—and we know what families need. Now is the time to act. Start Early is urging Congress to advance a budget that truly meets the needs of children and families. 👉 Take action: Contact your members of Congress and tell them to invest in early learning and care. https://lnkd.in/gvbGvDVF #EarlyChildhood #ChildCare #HeadStart #HomeVisiting #EarlyIntervention
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