The Ounce of Prevention Fund is dedicated to ensuring that, beginning at birth, children in low-income families can overcome the challenges of poverty and enter kindergarten fully prepared to achieve. We believe it far more cost-effective, and caring, to help at risk children and their parents build healthy foundations than to treat problems later in life.
We work in multiple fields: direct services, training, research and advocacy to help improve the life prospects of young children in poverty. We leverage private sector funds to test innovative ideas, and we partner with the public sector to design high-quality programs and sustain them throughout Illinois.
Our work is grounded in the developmental needs of children, and in science which demonstrates that investments in children’s earliest years yield the greatest return for families and society.