Empowering parents through civic engagement. Parent Leaders and delegate agency staff share their stories of Head Start success with Representative Julia Brownley (fourth from left).
“As a Parent Leader, I gained great knowledge and confidence in myself in knowing that my story and thoughts can make a real difference in the lives of families. As a keynote speaker, I had the opportunity to speak to Congress and express on behalf of parents and families the value of the Head Start program. It is an empowering program for the family as a whole.”—TaJauta Gilbert-McLaine (ABC Unified School District)
“I am empowered now to tell my story to everyone who will listen. I represented not only my child, but children around the United States and the importance Head Start has had in my life.”—Anna Mojica (LACOE Community Representative)
“[I gained] the empowerment we have as parents. It takes a group of parents to make a difference in the lives of all our children. OUR CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE! They deserve a good quality education like the one LACOE offers.”—Sally Gutierrez (Plaza de la Raza)
“It was my first time visiting the Capitol and being a part of a group advocating for Head Start, which made me so proud. From some workshops, I got so inspired to be my kid’s first teacher; I know that early learning matters.”—Hanrong Feng (Garvey School District)
“I learned that our support of the Head Start program, as parents, is very important. This trip demonstrated the great opportunity we have to use our voice to impact Congress and help Head Start progress and advance.”—Julio Del Raso (Plaza de la Raza)
