Healthy Parents & Babies

Shout out to our partners, Educare Chicago, who helped put together such a thoughtful, wonderful event! We are so proud of you all and look forward to the next 25 years of innovation, positive impact and quality care for our children and families!

25 Years of Transforming Lives Through Early Education 🎓
A quarter century ago, Educare Chicago, a program of Start Early, opened with a powerful promise: every child deserves access to quality early learning, regardless of their background or ZIP code.
From one school on Chicago's South Side, we've grown into a national network of 25 schools (with 27 on the way!), serving more than 4,000 children and families annually in communities that need us most.
Last month, we gathered with nearly 300 people in person at the University of Chicago and virtually to celebrate this incredible journey at our 25th Anniversary Symposium. It was a day of wisdom, joy, and reflection on how far we've come and where we're headed.
The Educare Network, developed by Start Early in partnership with leading early childhood organizations, continues the model of excellence that started right here in Chicago. Here's to 25 years of impact and to the many more ahead! 💜
Learn more: https://bit.ly/3KxcSxY

Start Early's Statement Regarding Incident at Rayito de Sol Early Learning Center Read Start Early's statement regarding an incident at the Rayito De Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center.

Curious about our partners, Educare Chicago? Learn more about their impressive history with Start Early's Research & Evaluation team in this great 25th anniversary blog!

What happens when you truly listen to families? Magic. ✨
For 25 years, Educare Chicago, a program of Start Early, has been asking parents what they need, and then making it happen. Those conversations led to beautiful spaces like an onsite garden where children explore nature, a library filled with stories and a family store that supports the community.
What we learned from these families helped shape early childhood education standards across the entire country.
As we celebrate 25 years of growth with Educare Chicago, we want you to know we're just getting started. With new partnerships and fresh ideas, the future is brighter than ever for our families.
Want to see how research and heart come together to change lives? Read our story: https://bit.ly/4hg8O11

Event alert! Tomorrow (Wednesday, 10/22) at 4:30 p.m. CT, the Illinois Department of Early Childhood is hosting a virtual listening session on Governor Pritzker’s next fiscal year budget. We encourage our parents to join so that the needs of babies and toddlers are heard directly from those who know best: families just like yours!

Join IDEC’s virtual listening session on October 22 to share your recommendations for the Governor's proposed FY27 budget.

This is a space for early childhood advocates and key stakeholders to provide input, ideas and requests that reflect the needs of Illinois’ early childhood community.

RSVP here: idec.illinois.gov/events/2025/idec-fy27-budget-listening-session.html

Deadline to submit feedback is Friday, October 24th at 5 P.M.

We had such an amazing time celebrating fall with all our wonderful families and community partners! Special shout-out to our partners, Educare Chicago, and our operating organization, Start Early, for helping make this very special Fall Fest so great!

Quick reminder! Our Fall Festival is this Saturday, October 4, from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Don't forget to RSVP to let us know you are able to join! https://bit.ly/fallfestival-25

Don't forget to RSVP for our milestone 5th Annual Fall Festival! Join us and our partners, Healthy Parents & Babies, on October 4th from 11 AM - 2 PM! RSVP today! https://bit.ly/fallfestival-25

Join us for our 5th Annual Fall Festival, where we'll also be celebrating 25 years of Educare Chicago 🎊🎉 We'll have free food, games, goodies, and more! RSVP today to let us know you're attending: https://bit.ly/fallfestival-25

Today is the last day to RSVP for Educare Chicago's birthday celebration events! Check out RSVP link for more details on each event! We can't wait to celebrate with you 🎂🎊🎉 https://bit.ly/BirthdayBash2025

Quick reminder! If you haven't yet, RSVP for Educare Chicago's birthday celebrations by August 8th! Join us on Thursday, August 14th for tours of our beautiful center, and Friday, August 15th for the birthday bash at Educare Chicago 🎉 https://bit.ly/BirthdayBash2025