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.
Our Mission
Start Early advances quality early learning for families with children, before birth through their earliest years, to help close the opportunity gap.
What We Do
Our comprehensive approach to early learning and care applies our deep expertise in program, policy and research so that children, families and educators can thrive.
Our Reach
From our roots directly serving families and children on Chicago’s South Side and in rural Illinois, we have expanded to impact programs and policies nationwide.
