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“Start Early” Public Awareness Campaign
From 2000 to 2003, Voices for Illinois Children's “Start Early: Learning Begins at Birth” public awareness campaign successfully built public support for investing in quality early childhood education. The campaign, launched with a grant from The Robert R. McCormick Foundation, used paid ads, earned media strategies and local spokespeople.
These ads are available for others to use as public service announcements. Contact Joan Vitale to learn more.
About the campaign
The campaign kicked off in 2000 with a grant from the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation. Two statewide polls in 2000 and 2001 and a series of focus groups laid the groundwork for an extensive media strategy.
Paid ads aired periodically from 2000 to 2003. The first wave used TV, radio, billboards and newspaper ads to focus on improving early education by providing more and better training opportunities for providers. Subsequent radio ads focused on the need to preserve child care from budget cuts and to invest in early learning even in tough fiscal times.
The campaign was a success! In 2006, Illinois approved a Preschool for All program to provide all participating 3- and 4-year-olds with access to high-quality early learning.
