Story submitted by: Stephanie, Head Start parent & Staff

I was a fos-adopt resource parent in 2005 and cared for medically challenged babies and children. At the time, I worked for Salida School District as a Health Tech. My special-needs preemie daughter was enrolled in Early Head Start (EHS) to track her development. The staff were amazing in working with our child, who faced many challenges, and they fully included me as a hands-on parent.

Head Start sponsored me to participate in their wonderful Parent-to-Teacher training program, through which I earned my California State Teacher Assistant certification as an aide. I also became involved on the board as a parent representative and advocate.

We watched our daughter, who had been developmentally behind by several years, begin to catch up. It was remarkable to see the progress she made as the nurses, therapists, and EHS/HS staff provided wraparound care—not just for our child, but for us as parents and as a family unit. They worked one-on-one with us both at home and in the center. Our daughter made tremendous progress, and her doctors were amazed as she went from being years behind to only six months delayed developmentally.

Today, our daughter is 20 years old. She still faces some challenges but continues to work toward her personal goals. Without the support of EHS/HS, her journey would have been much harder, and her progress much slower.

When we moved from Salida, CA, to the coastal Humboldt/Arcata area, I felt lost as a parent and worried about how my child would continue receiving the support she needed in a more rural area. EHS/HS proved to be vital once again. They facilitated our daughter’s transfer, even as she was transitioning into kindergarten, making the process smooth and supportive.

I was later privileged to become an EHS/HS Children’s Health Technician, working with the medical community, children, and families to assist and advocate for their health needs—helping ensure they received consistent care and follow-up so they, too, could achieve success stories of their own.

EHS/HS funding is crucial to preparing all children for their educational journeys. These programs are the first line of advocacy for children and families, breaking down barriers across all socioeconomic levels. We urgently need these services to continue for the future of our children.