History of the Educare Network
Since the beginning, Educare Chicago, Start Early’s first directly operated, center-based program and the first school of the Educare Network, has been a pioneer and innovator in early childhood education.
Responding to the pressing needs of over 30,000 families residing in the Robert Taylor Homes on Chicago’s south side, Start Early launched the Beethoven Project in 1986. The community-based early education pilot brought early learning, family support and healthcare services directly to families, providing these supports all within the buildings that made up the Robert Taylor Homes.
By the late 1990s, the City of Chicago began demolishing the Robert Taylor Homes, displacing thousands of families and disrupting the Beethoven Project’s operations. As the housing authority tore down the buildings, the program was forced to close.
As an answer to the loss of community-based service spaces and to meet this difficult moment, Start Early adapted the Beethoven Project’s model into a permanent, center-based early childhood education facility.
In January 2000, Educare Chicago opened its doors and began providing quality early care and learning experiences that enrich and empower the entire family.
Educare Chicago’s success inspired the Educare Network, launched in the early 2000s in partnership with the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, other funders and community partners.
