Everyone deserves a Head Start.

Ivette was a young mother of two and pregnant with her third child when a family friend told her about Head Start. “At the time I was trying to figure out a way to go back to school because I dropped out in the ninth grade,” she explains. “I wanted to do something more with my life, and I also needed to enroll in school in order to protect my DACA status.”

Head Start, says Ivette, “was a godsend. I was ecstatic that not only did I get a few hours of help each day caring for my oldest daughter, but she was learning things there.”

Now a mother of five, Ivette has sent all of her children through Head Start programs because of the excellent academic preparation they offer.

“Because I had dropped out of school, I wanted a good education for my kids. With Head Start, they were able to build a foundation that was sturdy and strong even before going to kindergarten. When my children finished Head Start, they had learned not only what they were expected to know, but more. Because they had that experience early in life, they’re able to work independently and do well in school now. It makes me feel so proud of my kids. It’s a feeling that every parent should feel.”

Ivette credits Head Start with helping her become the parent she wanted to be for her children.

Thanks to the program, she was able to obtain her GED and even get assistance with her immigration paperwork.

“Being a mom of five, it’s a lot of work juggling all the children at the same time,” she says. “We don’t always know what to expect when we’re first parenting. At Head Start, they let me know that every child is different in their own way and they taught me how to support them. We would have in-person meetings where I learned so much: how to cook with my kids, how to eat better, how to stay organized. Head Start taught me how to be a better parent in so many ways. The staff there are like family to me.” ●