Take Action to Support Critical Home Visiting Services

As champions for early learning, we know that starting early and supporting families from before birth into the earliest years of a child’s life is vital. Home visitors work with parents to provide critical support during a child’s first five years of life, laying a strong foundation for a child’s early learning and future success in life. Learn more about home visiting.

Funding for home visiting through the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program is set to expire on September 30, 2022 -- leaving 140,000 parents and children across the country at risk of losing crucial home visiting support. We cannot let families lose this essential service, take action by contacting your legislators TODAY and ask them to renew and expand MIECHV funding before it’s too late.

The Current Child Care System is Broken

Child care closures have driven a million women out of the workforce since the pandemic began. Whether it is the high cost or trouble finding quality options – one thing is clear: the current child care system isn’t working. We're fighting to change that, but we need your help.

Donate today to help build a better future for our youngest children.

New Head Start Study Shows Second-Generation Impacts

Head Start and Early Head Start programs are at the core of Start Early’s work. From directly operating programs to partnering with other organizations, we know the difference Head Start can make. Our research has demonstrated that providing quality and stimulating learning environments and comprehensive supports and services to children and families is key to long term positive outcomes for the participants of our programs.

This latest work by Drs. Gibbs and Barr adds to the mounting evidence of the positive impact of Head Start programs—beyond the walls of the classroom and for more than the individual child served. They make a clear and compelling case for the continued and increased investment in quality early childhood education in our country. Read more about the first multigenerational study of Head Start.

Child Care Cannot Be Forgotten, Contact Congress Today

As it stands now Congress’ reconciliation package does not include any funding for child care, confirming our worst fears. Last week, Start Early and 23 of our partners released a statement calling on Congressional leaders to reverse course and provide funding in reconciliation to address America’s ever-worsening child care crisis. Read the full statement.

Failure to include child care investments in reconciliation fails America's families and pushes our early learning system closer to a catastrophic funding cliff that will affect America’s entire economy. Contact your senator today to tell them that significant money for child care must be put back into a reconciliation package.

Benefits of Art for Your Little Learner

Expert tips and at-home projects you can do with your little one

We don’t know much about art, but we know what we like—and that’s seeing young children find ways to express themselves and spark creativity while they’re learning. Whether you have a little Picasso on your hands or you are actively looking for ways to introduce art to your child, we have tips for you!

We asked our Start Early experts for their advice for parents and caregivers on the best ways to use art to support your child’s learning and development. And the teachers of Room 114 at Educare Chicago, a program of Start Early, delivered.

Check out what Annaliese Newmeyer, Charlene Macklin and Lisa LaRue have shared when it comes to why art is so important for our youngest learners and how you can make it part of your everyday routine.

Start Early advances quality early learning for families with children, before birth through their earliest years, to close the opportunity gap.

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

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