Start Early is celebrating a legislative win for early childhood in Oregon. The state recently passed the Student Success Act Bill (HB 3427), which will result in a $1 billion dollar annual investment in early learning and K-12 education.

We sat down with Dana Hepper, director of policy & advocacy at the Children’s Institute in Oregon, about the instrumental role she played in getting this legislation passed.

1.  Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your work?
   I’m the Director of Policy & Advocacy at the Children’s Institute. The Children’s Institute works in Oregon to ensure all children have the opportunity to thrive. We do this through advocacy, research, policy and practice. My role is working with state agencies, the Early Childhood Coalition, business leaders, K-12 partners, and others to develop and move a legislative agenda and support effective implementation.

   This legislative session, we are thrilled to have won a $400 million on-going investment in early learning programs (in addition to a Paid Family & Medical Leave program, universally available home visits, and a child care taskforce). This $400 million early learning investment is one piece of a $2 billion investment in education from early learning through 12th grade, with on-going and dedicated funding from a new tax on business. I have loved working in collaboration with our partners to build and implement a shared strategy to win.

2. Can you tell the story of Oregon and the state’s early childhood landscape? How did you and your coalition members set the stage for such a big ask?
   The stage-setting for this ask has been going on since the founding of Children’s Institute, 16 years ago. We’ve been steadily and boldly informing the public and elected officials about the importance of the earliest years of a child’s life.

   More recently, Oregonians rejected a ballot measure to raise the Corporate Tax in Oregon (which was the lowest in the nation) to fund all public services. After that defeat, the Legislature decided to focus on funding for K-12 public education specifically. We convened early childhood stakeholders to advocate for the focus to be broadened to include early childhood. The Speaker of the House was an ally, and we ultimately won on this expanded charge.

   Then we worked with stakeholders and the Early Learning Division (the state agency overseeing early learning) to develop a specific ask for more than $400 million dedicated to specific early learning programs. The Governor included $380 million of the ask in her budget – our second big win in the process.

   Simultaneously, we worked throughout 2018 with K-12 school district leaders to build their understanding and support for early childhood. This work paid off when K-12 advocates also began to support the $400 million investment – a critical partner, as the rest of the funding would go to K-12 education. All sessions, we ran weekly lobby meetings and monthly coalition meetings to coordinate meetings with legislators, lobby days, messages, action alerts, testimony, and more. Our coordinated strategy worked!

3. Can you describe the feeling you had as the legislature debated whether Student Success Act Bill was a sound investment?
   Wow – I felt so nervous and excited! We had so much education to do of the Committee considering this legislation. They did not understand the early learning funding streams or programs – which was frustrating at times. Ultimately, the unanimous support among advocates, the Early Learning Division, the Governor’s office, our champion legislators, for the specific list of investments gave legislators the confidence that the money would be well spent.

   On the night of the vote, there were tears, applause, hugging, and celebration in the halls of the Capitol.

4. Now that you’ve secured the funding, what’s next?
   Implementation! There is so much work to do to prepare to get these dollars out the door. Regional Early Learning Hubs are creating plans for how to expand access to early learning programs.

   The Early Childhood Coalition partners took some time to celebrate together. Now we continue to meet monthly to coordinate our work on implementation, improve how we work as a coalition, and prepare for the next legislative session.

   The Children’s Institute is providing support to Early Learning Hubs and community organizations that work with parents to ensure the Hub plans reflect the hopes and dreams of families in each community.

5. What are you most excited about with the rollout out of the Student Success Act?
   When the first draft of the Student Success Act’s early learning investments came out, some of the investments we were advocating for were left out. Legislators understood preschool (including Head Start & Early Childhood Special Education), and they were prioritizing these investments over others that start earlier. I’m most excited that we were able to shift the conversation to acknowledge that learning starts at birth (and before). We won meaningful investments in infants and toddlers, including $20 million to expand Early Head Start.
6. Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
   Check out our webpage, put together by CI’s amazing communications team, dedicated to the implementation of the Student Success Act.

   Finally, let’s be bolder together and ask for what families with young children are telling us they really need!

Zeporah Askia is the proud parent of 3-year-old Elijah or “Eli,” a student at Educare Chicago, Start Early’s (formerly known as the Ounce) early childhood school that serves low-income infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families in Chicago’s Grand Boulevard neighborhood.

Zeporah is a single mother who is currently studying to take the Illinois bar exam. Her son, Eli, began attending Educare Chicago when he was an infant and while Zeporah was attending law school and working a part-time job. When Eli was diagnosed with developmental delays and needed the help of a speech pathologist and other educational resources, the Educare staff stepped in to make sure Eli had all the resources he needed.

Zeporah is one of Educare Chicago’s biggest advocates and attributes her son’s outstanding progress to the educational opportunities at Educare and the resources they help provide during their families most difficult times.

Recently, we sat down with Zeporah to learn more about her story and how her family has been impacted by access to the early childhood education program at Educare Chicago.

1. How and why did you seek out the Educare Chicago program?
   I was referred to Educare Chicago by a friend who has a child in the center. Before Eli was enrolled in the center, I struggled to find a quality program who would give him the tools needed to be successful in life. Yes, my son was only a year old and I was concerned about his future. E ducation is important to my family because I overcame stereotypes associated with my socioeconomic status, race, and gender by attaining a quality education. Education has opened so many doors for my family that I wanted to pass this value onto my son. Further, I understood that Eli would be the person that he was going to be by the age of 5, so I needed to act early to instill a love of education.

   I immediately knew that I wanted my son in Educare. When I toured the school, the staff told me about the various components of his curriculum, the classrooms were well-equipped with everything I could imagine, and the staff was friendly. After he was enrolled, and I could not stop talking about Educare, my family did not believe that a daycare had a curriculum. So, I quickly corrected them, Educare is not a daycare, it’s a school.

2. How has taking part in an early childhood education program impacted you and your family?
   Two years later, I stand by my decision that Educare was the best place for my son. Educare has had a profound effect on my child’s academic, emotional, and social development. In addition, the support systems have strengthened my family and helped us to reach success. Specifically, when Eli came to Educare, I had completed my first year of law school, but I had taken time off from school because I struggled to find the necessary support systems. I was giving up on my dream of becoming an attorney because I was succumbing to the challenges of being a single parent. But, our Family support coordinator, Ms. Tanya, was determined to make sure that I returned to school. She helped me get back on track by just being there for my family, and finding resources. As a result, I returned to law school the following semester and even though I didn’t graduate with my class, 2017, I graduated in May 2018.
3. How have you taken part in your child’s educational experience at Educare Chicago?
   I have been heavily involved in my son’s educational experience. I have volunteered in Ms. Glenda’s class at every possible chance. She was an amazing teacher. She taught my son how to potty train, recognize letters in his name, and she regularly gave me parenting strategies. Sometimes, I consider her a second mother because of the care and concern that she showed for both Eli and I.

   In addition, my son was diagnosed with development delays. I told his Family support and she took care of everything to get him enrolled in Early Intervention. When his therapists came to the classroom to give him services, I tried to re-schedule my day, so I could see what they were doing and continue his services at home. But if I couldn’t Ms. Glenda made sure that I was updated. Today, he receives speech therapy outside of Educare, but I work with his Educare teaching team to incorporate his services into his learning experiences. I know that every mom thinks their children are the best, but I can confidently say that Educare helped bring out the best qualities in my child and he’s on a path to be prepared for Kindergarten.

   Overall, I try to participate in the Educare’s programs, from the monthly attendance dinners, to the parent talks, to the Math events. Actually, the Math on Mondays was probably one of my favorite events because I used the strategy of reading the book, From Head to Toe, and rolling a die to teach Eli how to count. He loves the game. Plus, he’s learning how to recognize numbers, count dots, as well as counting to 5. The events are a great bonding experience for my family and networking with other parents.

4. What advice would you give to other parents looking for early education programs for their children?
   I am so impressed with Educare that I tell everyone, from single moms to professionals about my experiences. When I see parents struggling to find someone to “watch their kids,” or unable to buy diapers to send to daycare, I tell them about Educare and how they provide diapers and milk to help. Also, the staff will do more than watch you kids because they have bachelors and masters and doctorates. They are the best in the game!

   My advice to other parents is to get involved with the teaching team, staff, and programs. Then, take advantage of the resources offered by the school. Having a child with developmental delays was hard on me because I felt that I did something wrong but my family support made the process run smooth. I guess that being an open book really made it possible for the staff to find solutions.

Start Early has been committed to serving parents and families directly for nearly 40 years, and we continue to grow our ability to impact families beyond our direct reach. Through high-quality professional development programs, we have taken the research-based methods applied in our programs and made them available to practitioners and leaders across the field of early childhood education.

We are proud to announce that we have received the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) accreditation. The IACET accreditation adds a level of validation to our training programs and provides early education professionals with learning experiences that demonstrate elevated expertise, help them continue advancing in their careers and expand their skill sets.

Our professional development offerings consist of in-person and online learning experiences focused on a range of aspects within early childhood education. These opportunities help early education leaders grow in their work and address their most crucial areas of need.

Currently, these programs have received IACET accreditation:

• The Essential Practices of Educare allows program leaders and practitioners to improve their skills and knowledge, leveraging the Educare Learning Network’s research-backed model to deliver stronger results for children and families.
• The Essentials of Home Visiting is a best-in-class online training program for home visitors. It includes innovative online courses and webinars for home visitors, supervisors, and family engagement professionals. These learning experiences were created by Start Early’s home visiting experts based on decades of leadership in home visiting throughout Illinois.

We are actively pursuing IACET accreditation for the following programs:

• The Essential 0-5 Survey is a unique measurement and leadership tool for early education leaders to address the core characteristics that contribute to the success of early childhood education institutions. The Essential 0-5 Survey provides in-depth analysis that allows teachers and organizational leaders to collectively improve the culture of their program and provide a stronger learning environment for children.
• The Essential Fellowship is an intensive leadership fellowship that provides leaders with the opportunity to learn how to build systems and routines that improve classroom instruction.

Our professional development programs provide the opportunity to share Start Early’s wealth of knowledge with early childhood professionals across the country, as well as learn alongside them to iterate, innovate and improve.

At just 25 weeks pregnant, Kim gave birth to her second son Payton Joseph, weighing in at 1 lb. 5 oz – 15 weeks earlier than his due date. Payton and his family were confronted with immediate and long-term challenges as a result of his earlier-than-expected birth – an inability to breathe on his own, a drastically low heart rate, severe vision complications and frightening seizures. Payton’s family faced what seemed like never-ending developmental and medical challenges.

This is the story of the Start Early’s (formerly known as the Ounce) own Vice President of Communications Kim Ptak, who was ultimately inspired by her family’s experience to make the move from corporate America to a dedicated career at Start Early.

Today, Payton is 13 years old – inquisitive and active, at grade level, taking no major medications, using no medical equipment, and driving his older brother crazy – he’s thriving! Just last year, Payton was selected to serve as the honorary bat boy for his favorite Chicago Cubs by Advocate Health Care and the nurses who cared for him at birth. Kim credits Payton’s solid start in life and ultimate success to many – doctors, nurses, hospital staff, family and friends. But also, the extraordinary early intervention supports Payton and his family received.

Early Intervention, part of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, entitles young children with developmental delays or certain diagnosed medical conditions to a range of developmental and social-emotional services, including speech and language, occupational and physical therapies and social work services in their natural environment – many of which Payton received. Families also receive coaching and learn how best to be there for their loved one. Research shows that these types of early positive experiences and interactions are proven to influence greater developmental and educational gains.

Alarmingly, although an estimated 13 percent of children under age 3 have or are at substantial risk for developmental delay or disabilities, less than 4 percent of infants and toddlers nationally receive Early Intervention services. Unfortunately, many children who are referred and evaluated for Early Intervention are not granted services because their delays do not meet the state thresholds for eligibility. This is a real problem. These delays often do not disappear without intervention. Rather, delays become worse and become harder and harder to mitigate or eliminate. These children then enter the school system further behind, and often need early childhood special education services that are far more costly. In addition, many families are simply unaware of the availability of Early Intervention services for their children.

Across the country, Start Early Policy Teams are working with its partners to advocate for policies that improve identification, referral and timely Early Intervention services for infants and toddlers.

“Developmental screenings and other family engagement and awareness efforts are necessary to ensure that we are identifying all infants, toddlers and their families who are entitled to and can benefit from Early Intervention,” Start Early  Director of Illinois Policy Karen Berman says. “We know that providing these interventions at the earliest time possible is critical for ensuring that children have the best chance to reach their potential.”

Kim agrees. Early intervention is vital for both the child and family. She knows first-hand.

The importance of early childhood education and its impact on a child’s life is supported by decades of research in developmental science. Here at Start Early, rigorous research and science informs all our efforts in providing and advocating for quality early education.

Recently we spoke to Mallary Swartz, former director of family engagement research at Start Early, to find out more about the subject of family engagement and how our research supports this key element of quality early education.

Our Family Engagement Research: What Do We Do?

All of our research integrates science, program and policy – it is truly applied (and applicable) research. Our team evaluates, tests, and pilots innovative family engagement strategies for both early education programs and parents.

Start Early’s research process is unique in that it involves co-creation and co-design — including family and staff feedback– throughout our work. We do this by holding focus groups and interviews, testing prototypes with families and staff, and having parents, program leaders, and staff serve as advisors.

One innovative outcome of this work is our digital parent self-reflection tool called Growing Together. Our team is in the initial phase of developing this tool for center-based early learning settings, like Early Head Start and Head Start programs.

Growing Together aims to help parents reflect on their parenting, identify their strengths and needs, and communicate those insights with their early childhood provider. Accompanying this work will be a provider interface and training for early education providers to further support them in building quality relationships with families.

Ultimately, our research around family engagement, as with our other areas of focus, is meant to help families and program staff create a nurturing environment where young children can learn and thrive.

Meet Mikela, a passionate advocate for early childhood education and new mom to a beautiful baby girl named Brooke. Her new life as a mother has only deepened her connection to early childhood education.

For the past three years, Mikela has served as chair of the Start Early Affiliates Board (SEAB), a group made up of young leaders and professionals who work together to extend the reach of Start Early and its commitment to ensuring all children from birth to age 5 have access to the highest-quality care and education.

This fall, Mikela and SEAB members are in the thick of planning for their signature event, an evening of networking, socializing and introducing guests to the Start Early’s work.

Recently, Mikela took a break from helping plan the SEAB’s annual event to chat with us about her new life as a mother and why she is so deeply connected to early childhood education.

1. What does early childhood education and development mean to you?
   Before becoming a mom, early childhood education had always been important to me because I LOVE school. I would have stayed in school forever if it were possible. I remember my mom telling me when I was young that I was lucky I got to go to school every day because there were kids that did not have that same opportunity. This absolutely shocked me. As I grew up, it became glaringly important how critical the early years were for future opportunities. Thus, I volunteered in tutoring, leadership and outreach programs in underserved communities. I saw first-hand that giving these children their best shot at growth and success started long before they stepped foot in kindergarten. It starts at birth, and we must find ways to give those children, and their families and communities, the opportunities so many people take for granted.
2. There are so many wonderful causes out there. Why are you passionate about early education and care?
   After Brooke was born, the concept of early childhood education transformed for me. I constantly think about the statistics I’ve learned through my work with Start Early about how many words a child hears and learns in their first few months and year of life and the various ways babies’ brains grow and develop starting from birth. I try every day to find new ways to engage Brooke so that her path to success (whatever that means for her!) starts now.

   It’s also glaringly apparent that I’m a parent with the incredible benefit of paid leave, a supportive partner, and resources to help Brooke in every way I can. The fact that so many babies do not have the same beginning and many parents have no option but to immediately return to work is heartbreaking. This has only intensified my passion for the work of Start Early, and there is so much we can do to support the programs Start Early provides and the policy work it does. We must advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.

3. Tell us a little bit about what the Start Early Affiliates Board is, your leadership role and what membership looks like.
   The SEAB is an incredible collection of young(er) professionals who have a passion for early childhood education. We all come from different backgrounds, careers and life experiences, but are bound by our shared desire to promote Start Early and what it stands for. As chair, I consider myself lucky to be surrounded by so many brilliant people and leaders. The Executive Committee is made up of chairs who are all amazing. They dedicate so much of their time to the SEAB. I genuinely enjoy our meetings and getting to know these wonderful people who dedicate their time to the SEAB and Start Early’s mission.

   Speaking of spending time with these people, I’m so excited for our annual event Start Early Bash on Thursday, October 3! This is our third Bash – it has continued to grow into such a fun, high-energy and inclusive event. Attending something like the Bash gives you a good idea of the type of people who make up the SEAB and Start Early itself: brilliant, outgoing, high-achieving people who also care so deeply about early childhood education.

Big changes in life can be scary, especially when it comes to education. The process is daunting, but through Educare Chicago, we take an intentional, individualized approach to prepare current and former students and their families.

The move from early childhood programs like Educare Chicago to kindergarten means meeting new teachers, new classmates and adjusting to a new environment. The same goes for former Educare Chicago students who may be transitioning to high school or perhaps post-high school life. Parents are also experiencing change, as they must build relationships with a new teacher or even a new school.

This summer, Educare Chicago, the Educare Chicago Alumni Network (ECAN) and several Start Early partners are working together to ensure that students and families are ready for the next chapter in the student’s life.

Educare Chicago Transition Process

The transition process at Educare Chicago is critical and prepares children and families for what is next for schooling!

“They’re prepared. They feel secure about this change in their life,” Angela Lampkin, director of Educare Chicago, says.

At Educare, parents and students experience an intentionally designed process to help get ready for what’s next. The school hosts a Charter School Breakfast as well as a GoCPS event, where family support staff assist parents through the application process. In the classrooms, students read books about what it means to be a “big kid” and also create a “goodbye book”, building excitement for the next year in school. For younger children, Educare hosts “Welcome to Head Start” to introduce new teachers, classrooms and classmates.

As families move toward a new chapter in their child’s education, Educare has thoughtfully and thoroughly planned this process to help them anticipate what is to come. The preparation and thought behind the transition will last with these families as they move from grade to grade.

Educare Chicago Alumni Network’s End-of-School Celebration

On Saturday, June 30, the Educare Chicago Alumni Network (ECAN) hosted an End-of-School Celebration for its graduates and their families. ECAN is made up of former Educare Chicago parents who provide resources for fellow parents, connect children to their childhood friends, and host events for both parents and their children. At the celebration, ECAN congratulated and celebrated a group of former Educare students graduating from middle school and high school.

For the second summer in a row, the Start Early Affiliates Board organized a fundraiser to help provide school supplies to middle school graduates so they can be the most prepared for their next step – high school. Collectively, the OAB was able to provide 28 backpacks and all the necessary school supplies to students at this celebratory event.

Additionally, this year, the second class of Educare Chicago students is preparing for yet another transition: graduation from high school. To help support these graduates, ComEd employees provided many of the necessary items for pursuing the next chapter – from kitchen utensils to bathroom towels – all nicely packed into a suitcase for easy moving. Collectively, employees raised $2,236 which helped provide these items to 15 graduating seniors that day.

Start Early is grateful for the efforts of Educare Chicago staff, ECAN, the Affiliates Board and ComEd to help ensure that students are excited and ready for whatever may be next in their educational journey.

The success of our early childhood programs would not be possible without the support of our donors. They know that without our services many families would be left without access to the help they need to give their children the best start in life. While financial support is essential, many of our donors are also dedicated partners who invest their time and energy into ensuring the children we serve can thrive.

The Simon family is just that. They are ambassadors for early childhood education and are dedicated to helping change the trajectory of children’s lives through their philanthropic work. For more than a decade, Linda and Cheryl have been making a difference for children in our programs. Linda Simon, a former high school English teacher with a passion for children’s literacy, helped fund the Baskind Library at our Educare Chicago program, which provides access to educational children’s books for its students. Linda’s daughter-in-law, Cheryl Simon, a previous school social worker and mother of three, is a founding member of Start Early Affiliates Board and served on the board for 11 years.

Recently, we sat down with Linda and Cheryl to find out more about why investing in our earliest learners is so important to them.

1. Why is your family passionate about early childhood education and the work of Start Early?
   With a background in education, we understand the value of high-quality education. Supporting the important mission of Start Early is a priority in our philanthropic work because we have observed how these interventions are changing the trajectory of children’s lives every day. We are struck by the passion of the leadership at Start Early as well as the research that drives the daily goals. From advocacy work, home visits to the Educare centers, Start Early is covering so much ground.
2. How has being supporters of Start Early changed or enhanced your views on the importance of early childhood education?
   As Start Early supporters, we are constantly learning from the data and research that is shared. We know this research drives the interventions and advocacy work but quite honestly we are learning on a personal level as well. I will never forget leaving one of the annual luncheons and feeling guilty that I had not been reading enough to my 3 month old son. In addition, spending time at Educare is extremely powerful. We observed firsthand how impactful the environment is to children and their families. Not only are children surrounded by quality learning experiences, both cognitive and social-emotional, but the parents are empowered to become leaders in their community. For example, having a little alcove with a couch when you first walk into the classroom helps facilitate a partnership between the parent and teachers. These little details all contribute to the success of the family and community.
3. Why is providing financial support to Start Early an important facet of your philanthropic work?
   We believe in the work of Start Early and know that quality early learning has the potential to transform children, families, communities and our nation. It is critical to continue investing in early childhood education by engaging both the child and parent on the importance of reading and carrying home the positive environment created at Educare. Not only are we providing support, we feel it is necessary to increase awareness around this issue and spread the word to our networks. We like to think of ourselves as ambassadors of early childhood education. When you hear about the achievement gap between children born into poverty and those born into families with means it is impossible to ignore this issue. We know that early childhood programs like this can narrow the academic achievement gap. They also have the power to change lives of children, their families and our communities which benefits us all.

Fourteen years ago, Gladys Montes joined the United Way of Miami-Dade and was tasked with developing a program that would move the needle towards higher quality early childhood programs with the needs of the community they serve at the forefront. Through the collaboration between the United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education and Educare Miami-Dade, Gladys helped establish them as a training program, a demonstration program, a partner in many discussions, and as voice for providers in our community.

Recently, we spoke with Gladys about her work with the United Way of Miami-Dade and Educare Miami-Dade and how their programs have supported those communities most in need.

1. What was the impetus for creating the Center for Excellence in Early Education?
   The United Way of Miami-Dade has been funding early childhood education for over 30 years. Like other United Ways throughout the nation, the design of our model was to partner with institutions in our community so that we actively engaged them, as they created proposals that addressed the work they were doing in our community. This process went on for a number of years and as the years went by, our Board of Directors was not satisfied with the advancement of these programs toward high quality early care and education programs. The Board understood the impact high quality has on the children and families in our community. It was clear that additional strategies needed to be in place in order to impact our community in the manner that United Way of Miami-Dade wanted.

   Our community was lacking a place where early childhood practitioners could meet and discuss areas there were important to them. For example, practitioners needed access to an array of professional development learning, and the Center was able to provide it. We needed a place where we could see what high quality practices meant, and the Demonstration School, Educare Miami-Dade, provided it.

2. What was the need you saw in your community and why did you believe that an Early Head Start Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) was the answer to it?
   For the past 13 years we have been a delegate of Head Start and Early Head Start (EHS) for Miami-Dade County. Being a delegate requires organizations to have the needed infrastructure to support all of the comprehensive services required by the Head Start Performance Standards. When the Funding Opportunity Announcement for EHS came out, we saw it as an opportunity to impact small programs in communities of high need, communities that otherwise would not be able to access the federal dollars focused on improving the quality of their programs. It was evident to us that this was the opportunity to put into practice what we had been doing for years at the Center for Excellence – Educate, Demonstrate, and Advocate.

   Through the grant, we focused not on the low hanging fruit, but on the programs that families were using, regardless of their quality. We could actually take folks that were living in these communities and were employed by these centers and family child care homes and re-focus their trainings to move to a higher understanding of infant and toddler care and education. We currently have 16 partners in our grants, and 150 practitioners. Based on experience, we decided to deliver the 120 hours for the CDA credential in the environments that the practitioners knew with instructors they were familiar with and utilized Educare Miami-Dade as the place where the courses came alive. We added an internship component where the practitioners could come and spend time at Educare Miami-Dade and understand how to implement the areas in which they received training. Our Educare Miami-Dade staff has visited the school and together they have moved to implement changes that have resulted in great results.

3. What is your vision for the future of United Way Center for Excellence? How would you like to see it grow? What impact would you like to have?
   Our original vision continues to be of impact in our community. We will continue to fight for better opportunities for all our teachers and for all children to have the best care and education we can provide so all children can reach their highest potential.

Meet Casey Henderson, mother of Payton, a student at Educare Central Maine. In 2017, Casey moved to Waterville, Maine to escape domestic violence and receive support for drug addiction recovery. Soon after enrolling her son in Educare Central Maine, she joined their Parent Ambassadors program, an initiative that elevates the voices of parents by engaging them in policy advocacy. She hoped the program would help her gain confidence and allow her to find her voice, she learned it would do so much more.

Recently, we sat down with Casey to talk about her involvement in the Educare Central Maine Parent Ambassadors program and how that has influenced her life as a parent and advocate.

1. How did you connect with the Parent Ambassadors program? What’s your role?
   After many hesitations and some pushes, I became a parent ambassador for the 2017-2018 term. I was unsure if it was my thing at the beginning, but the experiences I have been given are amazing, including testifying at the State House on the Leveraging Investments in Families for Tomorrow (LIFT) Act that made the first TANF increase in 25 years, to getting a hug from Susan Collins and having the opportunity to go to Washington, DC, Austin, Texas, Seattle, Washington and Tulsa, Oklahoma. As a Parent Ambassador alumni today, I am working as a peer mentor with the current ambassadors, helping to create a state-wide parent ambassador program, and continuing to work within the legislation process – telling my story and testifying.
2. Why is the Parent Ambassadors program valuable to you and how do you think your involvement has impacted Payton?
   Becoming a parent ambassador and a part of the Educare Central Maine community was such a blessing to me and my child. Gaining confidence within the parent ambassador program and finding my way as a woman in long term recovery, I finally had the courage and support to reenroll in college. I will be graduating in May from KVCC with my associates in Mental Health and have already been accepted to the UMA mental health and human services program. Moving to Waterville has changed my life, but if it wasn’t for the support and love that Educare, the parent ambassador program, and especially Joni Sprague has given me, I do not feel I would have made it this far. I am finally becoming the woman I was meant to be and giving my son a great example of life.
3. What have you gained from your participation? What have you been able to contribute?
   I have gained acceptance for who I am and that is something I have not had for a long time. I have gained self-confidence, resiliency, respect, hope, faith, and the willpower to do whatever I want to do knowing that the sky is the limit. I hope I have been able to contribute to my community and state as a part of the parent ambassador program. But most importantly, I hope I am inspiring other parents and showing them if I can do it, so can you and I will take the step with you to get to the top.