To view this email as a webpage, click
[link removed]
here.

[link removed]

[link removed]






Dear Fellow Advocates,



For nearly 40 years, the Ounce has delivered best-in-class doula, home visiting, Early Head Start and Head Start programs and has advocated for impactful and equitable policies as well as increased funding at local, state and federal levels. From our roots directly serving families and children on Chicago’s South Side and in rural Illinois, the Ounce has expanded to impact programs and policies nationwide.
We are excited to share that as of October 7, the important work of the Ounce will be conducted under a new organizational name that better conveys our connection and steadfast commitment to early childhood – Start Early.


In recent months, the COVID-19 pandemic has re-exposed the lasting impacts of historical and institutional racism that has existed in our country for generations and has been the root cause of many communities being under-resourced. Ensuring equitable access to quality early childhood experiences is a critical component of leveling the playing field and closing the opportunity gap for many children. Yet, even as programs and supports for young children and families are in high demand, they are also in jeopardy. This health emergency has exposed the long-standing need to invest more in early learning supports and infrastructure, especially those that serve children and families living in communities most under-resourced.


As we move through this time of crisis, the Ounce remains dedicated to advancing our mission and inspiring others to support young children and families. Our new name, Start Early, along with our new logo and tagline, Champions for Early Learning, focuses on the idea that starting early and nurturing the attachments between children and adults is essential to a child’s present and future well-being. This belief always has and always will be part of our DNA.

At Start Early, we believe that every child deserves the chance to reach their full potential in life. Our mission is to advance quality early learning for families with children, before birth through their earliest years, to close the opportunity gap.


For those unfamiliar with the Ounce, our new name will better convey our connection to early childhood and express why providing quality learning and care, in the early years, is critical to a child’s long-term success. For our long-standing partners and supporters, our new name demonstrates our recommitment to the children and families we serve and advocate for. Our role as on-the-ground practitioners is the bedrock of our expertise and our source of innovation and leadership in the field. The Illinois Policy Team is proud to help advance the Ounce’s mission and to leverage the expertise of our colleagues in early childhood program implementation and research to inform our policy and advocacy work.


We will continue to have a substantial presence in Illinois, focusing on home visiting, doula services, early learning programs and the research and policy efforts needed to validate and scale our impact. We will also continue to expand our reach across the country, working with other early childhood leaders, providing professional development opportunities and consulting with partners and advocates to deliver and fight for all families and young children.


In the coming weeks, the Ounce will transition to Start Early. We are excited about our future and appreciative of your long-standing dedication to our mission. Thank you also for your continued support and partnership as the Illinois Policy Team remains dedicated to ensuring a strong, reinforced and adequately funded early childhood system in our state.


Thank you,

The Illinois Policy Team






[link removed]



[link removed]



[link removed]



[link removed]



[link removed]

[link removed]
DONATE NOW


33 West Monroe Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60603 - 312.922.3863


(c)2020 Ounce of Prevention Fund


[link removed]

mailto:[email protected]

[link removed]
Privacy Policy

[link removed]



[link removed] Rebrand Communication_092020
Manage Subscription Preferences | Unsubscribe

This link will update subscription preferences for [email protected].