Zareen Kamal is a Policy Specialist at Start Early, where she supports the work of statewide policymaking committees related to the development of comprehensive early childhood systems and the Illinois Policy Team’s priorities for children with disabilities.

Zareen began her career as a Head Start lead teacher at a community-based center in Chicago. She then worked as a Policy Fellow at the Legal Council for Health Justice, where she supported a pilot program to provide lead-exposed children with automatic eligibility to Early Intervention services.

Zareen is currently a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) candidate at The University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago and an M.S. in Early Childhood Education with an ESL endorsement.