Why should you support Start Early?
As the nation’s leading early childhood nonprofit organization, Start Early is committed to creating equitable early learning experiences for children and families living in under-resourced communities.
A child’s brain develops faster from birth to age 5 than at any other time of life.
More than one million new neural connections are formed every second in the first few years of life.
The opportunity gap is measurable as early as 9 months of age.
On average, children from under-resourced communities enter kindergarten 18 months behind their more advantaged peers; and no school system can remediate this gap on a large scale.
Investments in early childhood lead to big lifetime returns.
Investing in quality early education programs provides a 13% annual return on investment through better outcomes in education, health, employment and social behavior.
Change the First Five Years and
You Change Everything®️
An Organization You Can Trust
As a charity that serves children and families in Chicago and communities across the country, Start Early is proud to have received the highest rankings from the nation’s most reputable charity evaluators and provide the most impact with your gift.
How You Can Help
Start Early relies on the support of people like you — from donating to amplifying your voice — to deliver quality early learning and care to our youngest learners.
Our Approach
How We Are Improving the State of Early Learning in America
Providing Quality Early Learning to Children and Families
We deliver high-quality programs that work directly with families to empower parents and support their child’s healthy development.
Accelerating Innovation in the Early Childhood Field
We develop and implement innovative programs, policy and research to strengthen the early childhood workforce and ensure better outcomes for children and families.
Advocating for Policies That Put Families First
We advocate for policies and programs that prioritize critical areas such as prenatal care, early learning and early intervention.
Connecting Communities by Fostering Collaboration and Partnerships
We connect communities to share knowledge and access to family resources and supports.
Our Reach
Our comprehensive approach allows us to create impact for the greatest number of children, families and educators. In the last year:
We reached 1.5 million children through our direct service and through our professional development programs.
We reached 298,486 professionals through our professional development programs and by leading the Head Start National Center for Parent, Family and Community Engagement.
Our intensive policy and advocacy consultation enabled public sector leaders and advocates in 17 states to build more equitable systems for over 6.5 million young children.
Our Impact in Action
See firsthand how Start Early’s early learning programs help new and expecting parents build a strong foundation for their children to thrive.
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