Laisa “Chica” Caldwell first learned of Head Start in 2002 when she saw signs for a preschool at her neighborhood elementary school.  She was initially attracted to the program for her eldest daughter, Angel, who was two and a half years old—but she soon realized the program could assist her with much more.

Thank you to all of our delegate agencies and everyone for making the fifth annual Be a Hero: Take Your Child to Preschool Day a huge success! Male engagement is an important component in a child’s development, and annual events like Be a Hero Day make a big difference for all of our children.

Millions of American children are in desperate need of the opportunity for success that Head Start and Early Head Start offer. National Head Start Association’s (NHSA) advocacy efforts raise awareness of their need and help to keep the window of opportunity open for more children.  Not a single dollar of federal funds or NHSA membership dues is spent in support of advocacy work.

There are financial aid resources and programs that teachers can take advantage of to help pay for their education.

Children today grow up seeing plenty of unhealthy food ads at home, on the road, and even at school. Even more troubling is that unhealthy food marketing has been shown to contribute to childhood obesity. Talk to your parents about why marketing matters and let them know how parents in their community are fighting back.

ALL income-eligible kids, regardless of immigration status, qualify for full-scope Medi-Cal. This means that undocumented children will be able to get the full array of preventive and treatment-related health care that they were previously ineligible for because of their immigration status. Medi-Cal is either no or low cost, depending on family income.

In 2012, Sergio Morales enrolled his oldest daughter (now eight) in ABC USD Head Start because his wife was told about the program from his son’s elementary school. However, it was not until his youngest daughter (now five) started Head Start that he really began to understand all the positive effects the program would have on him and his family.

The Family Development Credential (FDC) Program is a standardized, university-certificated program that is strength-based modeled and focused on self-reliance and community empowerment. It is a requirement for LACOE delegate agency staff that provide services directly to families, and it has recently begun enrolling Policy Council (PC) parents as well.