Ounce of Prevention Fund

Our Mission

The Ounce of Prevention Fund invests in the healthy development of at-risk infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families. We use an innovative cycle of family-focused programs, research, training, policy analysis and advocacy to help young children succeed in school and throughout life.

We believe that:

• Children are born learning,
• High-quality care and education services beginning at birth are necessary to help children enter kindergarten safe, healthy and ready to learn, and
• Investments in high-quality, early care and education programs for at-risk children yield the highest economic returns

Our Work

The Ounce provides high-quality Early Head Start and Head Start programs to more than 1,500 low-income children and families in the Chicago area.

Well-trained teachers and home visitors work with parents to provide the academic and social-emotional preparation that infants, toddlers, and preschoolers need to succeed in kindergarten. Our programs offer half-day, full-day and home-based services for children from birth to age five.

As a federal Head Start and Early Head Start Grantee, the Ounce partners with seven community agencies to deliver our early childhood education programs.

The Ounce directly operates Head Start and Early Head Start programs at Educare Chicago and at our Healthy Parents and Babies program, which provides doula and home visiting services for low-income families.