The inspiring story of Payton & the power of Early Intervention

Payton was born at just 1 lb. 5 oz., 15 weeks too soon – entering a world of medical challenges spanning from an inability to breathe on his own, a drastically low heart rate, severe vision complications and frightening seizures. Today, Payton is a healthy and smart 13-year-old, playing baseball and annoying his older brother, just like he should be!

Payton’s mother, the Ounce’s own Vice President of Communications Kim Ptak, credits his inspiring success to many – including the early intervention services he received along the way.

Learn more about Payton and his family’s story and what the Ounce is doing to ensure that all children have the opportunity to grow to be healthy and successful.

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Send ❤ to pre-K teachers!

Here's a meaningful and easy way to feel good right now: Sign our thank you card for some of the hardest working people out there... pre-K teachers who are helping our youngest learners build the framework for future success.

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Get a deeper understanding of early childhood

The ABC's of federally funded early learning support

Learn what the programs do, who they serve and why they are so critical to protect

It can be a challenge to understand the various supports and programs that exist at the federal level for millions of low-income children from birth through age five, even for people who live and breathe early childhood development. That’s why our partners at the First Five Years Fund developed a resource that breaks down these programs and their impact on families across the nation.

The importance of parent engagement

Learn why families are essential to high-quality early education

The lifelong impact of quality early education on a child’s success in school and life is supported by rigorous research and developmental science. That is why the Ounce is committed to using science to improve early childhood education.

In this 4-part series, we will explore key areas of our research and how this work drives program improvement and innovation. To kick things off, we’d like to share more about our research in family engagement.

Hear from our research team on our work in family engagement and its benefit to the children and families we serve.

Early Childhood Heroes, Meet Mikela Sutrina

You'll want to hear what she has to say

Becoming a new mom is transforming

Mikela Sutrina is the chair of the Ounce Affiliates Board (OAB), a group of young leaders and professionals who work together to extend the reach of the Ounce and our mission. Mikela, who has served on our board for three years, is deeply passionate about early childhood education and since becoming a new mother has found that her understanding of early education has been transformed.

Recently, Mikela took a break from helping plan the OAB's annual Ounce Bash (October 3rd) to chat with us about her new life as a mother and why she is so deeply connected to early childhood education.

Find out how we are building expertise in the field

Ounce receives accreditation for professional development programs

The Ounce offers evidence-based professional development trainings for early childhood education professionals that help build expertise and allow them to deliver better outcomes for children and families. We are proud to announce that we have received accreditation from the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).

The IACET accreditation adds a level of validation to our training programs and provides early education professionals with learning experiences that demonstrate elevated expertise, help them continue advancing in their careers and expand their skill sets.

Learn more about our training programs and how we’re scaling our impact.

The Ounce of Prevention Fund gives children in poverty the best chance for success in school and in life by advocating for and providing the highest-quality care and education from birth to age five.

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