The Preventive Ounce
The Preventive Ounce is a 1984-founded Oakland nonprofit that runs a web-based temperament questionnaire and parent education platform for families with children aged 4 months to 5 years, serving more than 40,000 parents via a $10/year direct-to-consumer membership and professional referral channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What The Preventive Ounce does
The Preventive Ounce is a California-incorporated nonprofit founded in 1984 by Dr. James Cameron, PhD, that operates a web-based platform delivering temperament-based parent education. Its core technology is a self-serve questionnaire and profile-generation system that produces individualized behavior-management strategies for three age cohorts: infants (4 months to 1 year), toddlers (1 to 3 years), and preschoolers (3 to 5 years). The questionnaires and tailored strategies are rooted in the Chess-Thomas temperament framework and were originally developed and clinically validated through a long-running partnership with Kaiser Permanente, where Helen Neville ran the Temperament Program from 1990 to 2016.
The platform is delivered via a WordPress-based website with a bilingual (English/Spanish) interface, PayPal-backed subscription billing, and an aMember-style member area. Distribution is direct-to-consumer at $10 per year for a family membership covering up to four temperament profiles, supplemented by an institutional channel in which doctors, clinics, or preschools can pay for parent access and receive aggregated results. Marketing is primarily organic: SEO-oriented content, a temperament blog, parent testimonials, and referrals from pediatric and childcare professionals.
The organization is volunteer-run (1-10 headcount, all unpaid), with no parent company, no funding rounds, and no disclosed institutional revenue. Income is reported as going entirely to website maintenance and upgrades. Since inception the organization states it has served more than 40,000 parents, and published research indicates temperament-based anticipatory guidance delivered through the program is associated with a significant decrease in clinical anxiety in subsequent years.
The Preventive Ounce firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Preventive Ounce
- Legal name
- The Preventive Ounce
- Website
- https://preventiveoz.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Preventive Ounce is a 1984-founded Oakland nonprofit that runs a web-based temperament questionnaire and parent education platform for families with children aged 4 months to 5 years, serving more than 40,000 parents via a $10/year direct-to-consumer membership and professional referral channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Preventive Ounce industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Parenting Education
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Assessment & Screening Tools (Developmental, Readiness, Progress Monitoring) (EDACAJAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Behavioral Therapy (ABA/ESDM/Positive Behavior Support) (EDACAFAE)
Keywords
Where The Preventive Ounce is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Preventive Ounce business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel
Revenue model
- Family Membership Subscription: Direct-to-consumer annual family membership at $10/year. Allows filling out 4 temperament profiles on 4 different infants, toddlers, or preschoolers, or different adults can complete profiles on the same baby/child. Includes 1-year access to individualized parenting strategies.
- Professional/Institutional Fees: When a doctor, clinic, preschool, or other professional pays so you can use the website, your questionnaire results will be available to you and to whoever paid.
- Donations: Nonprofit organization accepting donations to maintain and upgrade the website.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | 1-Year Family Membership |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Preventive Ounce product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Preventive Ounce delivers a web-based platform that lets parents complete temperament questionnaires and immediately receive a profile of their child's inborn traits, along with behavior issues that are normal for that child and individualized parenting strategies tailored to the child's temperament. The platform offers age-specific profiles for infants (4 months to 1 year), toddlers (1 to 3 years), and preschoolers (3 to 5 years), and is sold as a $10/year family membership covering up to 4 profiles.
Product overview
The Preventive Ounce is a nonprofit preventive mental health organization offering a web-based platform for temperament-based parenting education. The core offering consists of temperament questionnaires and profiles for three age groups—Babies (4 months to 1 year), Toddlers (1 to 3 years), and Preschoolers (3 to 5 years)—each generating individualized behavior management recommendations. The platform enables parents to complete temperament assessments, immediately view profiles showing their child's inborn traits, learn which behavior issues are normal for their child's temperament, and access tailored parenting strategies. The company operates on a membership model ($10/year for family access to 4 profiles) and has served over 40,000 parents since 1984, primarily through partnerships with health maintenance organizations like Kaiser Permanente.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Baby Temperament Profile A temperament assessment for infants aged 4 months to 1 year that creates a profile of the baby's inborn traits, helping parents understand sensitivity, movement, reactions, frustration tolerance, and adaptability.
- Toddler Temperament Profile A temperament assessment for toddlers aged 1 to 3 years that profiles traits including sensitivity, movement, intensity, and adaptability, explaining which behavior issues are normal for the child's temperament.
- Preschooler Temperament Profile A temperament assessment for preschoolers aged 3 to 5 years that profiles temperament traits and provides guidance on managing behavior issues tailored to the child's specific temperament.
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 40,000 parents have used the Preventive Ounce to make parenting easier and to avoid unnecessary blame and guilt.
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Preventive Ounce
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Preventive Ounce technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
The Preventive Ounce partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Kaiser PermanentecoreMost of the temperament program was developed and tested at Kaiser Permanente, the oldest and largest HMO in the United States. This partnership provided the clinical validation and research foundation for The Preventive Ounce's approach to temperament-based parent education.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Preventive Ounce competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- BabyCenter: Major incumbent parenting platform offering developmental tracking, expert content, and community for parents from pregnancy through early childhood. Comparable parent-education mission but with vastly broader scope (health, feeding, sleep) and brand/media scale.
- What to Expect: One of the largest pregnancy and parenting platforms, providing stage-based guidance, tools, and community. Overlaps with The Preventive Ounce on developmental/behavioral education for parents of infants through preschoolers.
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP): American Academy of Pediatrics' parent-facing platform providing pediatrician-vetted guidance on child development and behavior from birth through adolescence. Overlaps as an authoritative source for parent education on temperament-related topics.
Direct peers
- Zero to Three: Leading nonprofit organization focused on infant and toddler development research, resources, and parent education. Closely mirrors The Preventive Ounce's nonprofit, research-validated mission in early childhood temperament and behavior.
- Kinedu: Early-childhood development app offering personalized activity plans and milestone tracking for ages 0-6. Directly comparable as a digital, parent-facing platform for early childhood development and behavior guidance.
- Pathways.org: Nonprofit providing free developmental milestone information and tools for parents of infants and toddlers, with an emphasis on early detection and behavior guidance. Comparable nonprofit, parent-education mission and early-childhood focus.
- The Bump: Pregnancy and parenting platform with stage-based content and tools spanning preconception through early childhood. Comparable parent-target audience and digital self-serve distribution model.
- Wonder Weeks: Direct peer: a popular baby development app based on the "leap" theory of infant mental development, offering parents age-specific guidance and milestone tracking for infants. Comparable product, target audience (parents of young children), and direct-to-consumer model.
Emerging players
- ParentLab: Digital parenting coaching platform offering expert-led video courses and tools for child behavior and development. Comparable as a parent-facing digital education resource addressing child temperament and behavior challenges.
- Bright by Text: Nonprofit parent-engagement service delivering free developmental tips, activities, and resources via text/SMS to parents of children 0-5. Comparable nonprofit early-childhood parent education mission with digital distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Preventive Ounce social profiles
Digital presenceThe Preventive Ounce financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Preventive Ounce leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
The Preventive Ounce funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Preventive Ounce M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Preventive Ounce
What does The Preventive Ounce do?
The Preventive Ounce delivers a web-based platform that lets parents complete temperament questionnaires and immediately receive a profile of their child's inborn traits, along with behavior issues that are normal for that child and individualized parenting strategies tailored to the child's temperament. The platform offers age-specific profiles for infants (4 months to 1 year), toddlers (1 to 3 years), and preschoolers (3 to 5 years), and is sold as a $10/year family membership covering up to 4 profiles.
Is The Preventive Ounce a public or private company?
The Preventive Ounce is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Preventive Ounce founded?
The Preventive Ounce was founded in 1984. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Preventive Ounce based?
The Preventive Ounce is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Preventive Ounce make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Family Membership Subscription is the primary driver. The others are professional/Institutional Fees and donations.
Who are The Preventive Ounce's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are BabyCenter, What to Expect and HealthyChildren.org (AAP). Direct peers are Zero to Three, Kinedu, Pathways.org, The Bump and Wonder Weeks. Emerging players are ParentLab and Bright by Text.
Does The Preventive Ounce have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Preventive Ounce.
What industry is The Preventive Ounce in?
The Preventive Ounce's product category is Parenting Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACAJAC, Assessment & Screening Tools (Developmental, Readiness, Progress Monitoring), with a secondary code of EDACAFAE, Behavioral Therapy (ABA/ESDM/Positive Behavior Support). Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8351.