History - Ounce of Prevention Fund

History
1982
Businessman and philanthropist Irving B. Harris founds the Ounce of Prevention Fund
1984
Opens Head Start in Chicago
1986
Launches the Center for Successful Child Development (Beethoven Project), a comprehensive early childhood
center in the Robert Taylor Homes, a Chicago public-housing development
1987
Creates Kids Public Education and Policy Project (later renamed the Illinois Policy Team) to advocate in Illinois on
behalf of young children and their families
1994
Publishes Head Start on Head Start, which lays the groundwork for the development of the federal Early Head Start
program
1996
Launches doula program to pair pregnant teens with trained mentors who promote healthy prenatal practices,
support them through labor and delivery and foster a strong parent-child attachment.
Publishes Starting Smart: How early experiences affect brain development, one of the earliest summaries of the
brain research that underscores the critical importance of every child’s early years
1997
Successfully advocates for the Illinois Early Childhood Block Grant, which combines existing early childhood funding
streams and requires a percentage of funding to go to birth-to-three programs
1998
Launches the Birth to Three Project (later renamed Birth to Five Project) to build a coordinated statewide system of
programs, services, and policies for young children
2000
Opens first Educare School in Chicago’s Grand Boulevard neighborhood to serve 150 low-income children and their
families. Educare later becomes a national model for high-quality early childhood education that narrows the
achievement gap for children in poverty.
Ounce of Prevention Fund
33 West Monroe Street, Suite 2400 | Chicago, IL 60603
312.922.3863 | ounceofprevention.org

2001
Dr. James Heckman, the 2000 Nobel Laureate in Economics, speaks at first “It’s Good Business to Invest in Young
Children” luncheon
2002
Begins to partner with advocacy organizations in other states to build their capacity to advance policy change and
increase public investments in effective birth-to-five programs.
2003
Successfully advocates for a $90 million expansion of early education funding in Illinois
Staffs the new Illinois Early Learning Council, whose goal is to meet the early learning needs of all children from
birth to age five and their families by establishing a high-quality, comprehensive, statewide learning system
2004
In partnership with the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, establishes the Bounce Learning Network (now known as the
Educare Learning Network) to create Educare schools across the country
2006
Successfully advocates for passage of Preschool for All legislation in Illinois
With other national organizations, joins the Birth to Five Policy Alliance to help states develop a policy agenda and
advocate for increased public investments for young children
2007
Launches the First Five Years Fund, which aims to focus nationwide attention and resources on comprehensive,
quality early care and learning programs for children from birth to age five
2008
Successfully advocates for a $32.4 million increase in state funding for the Early Childhood Block Grant
2009
Successfully advocates in Illinois for an increase in the percentage of early childhood funding spent on infant-toddler
programs, and $45 million to fund capital projects for early childhood programs
Along with the First Five Years Fund and other organizations, successfully advocates for a new $4 billion federal
investment in early childhood education
Ounce of Prevention Fund
33 West Monroe Street, Suite 2400 | Chicago, IL 60603
312.922.3863 | ounceofprevention.org

2010
Doubles the number of infants and toddlers served in the Ounce’s Early Head Start program through partnerships
with community agencies
2011
Diana Rauner becomes president of the Ounce of Prevention Fund, succeeding Harriet Meyer, who served as
president for 20 years.
Wins a $3 million Investing in Innovation grant from the U.S. Department of Education for its early childhood
professional development initiative
2012
A randomized control evaluation of the Ounce’s doula home-visiting model receives funding through the State of
Illinois’ application for a competitive grant funded by the Affordable Care Act
Educare of Washington, DC, opens in the nation’s capital, aiming to demonstrate to federal policymakers how
quality early learning investments can narrow the achievement gap for children in poverty.
Educare of West DuPage, the first suburban school, opens in West Chicago, IL.
The Educare Learning Network grows to include 17 operating Educare schools across the country, with additional
schools in development.
Ounce of Prevention Fund
33 West Monroe Street, Suite 2400 | Chicago, IL 60603
312.922.3863 | ounceofprevention.org