-Rosaura MV. Mother of two children in the program, with a preschooler enrolled in center-based Elkhorn Head Start and a toddler in the Early Head Start Home-Based Program. Rosaura has suffered major losses in recent years, including the death of her husband while she was still pregnant with her second child.
“My older child started HS after my husband passed away. I knew I needed to do something as my older child was having a hard time coping with the loss of his father. Every day, he would cry and wait for his dad at the door and ask “When is dad coming home?”
He has a bilingual preschool teacher in his class and he loves going to school. Every day, the class has had different types of art activity and he has been expressing his feelings through his art. They have shared many of his art with me. I can assure you this has been a great way for him to communicate, especially during the times he does have his moments.
The teachers as well as the front desk at SETA Head Start have been very, very supportive and very great with him. Before, he was asking for his dad every day, constantly crying at times not being able to sleep. Little by little, it has gotten to be less frequent and now, he still misses his dad. I don’t believe that will ever change, but he’s no longer crying and asking for him constantly as he would. He said he loves his teachers and he wants to go to school everyday. He wakes me up and says “Mom, get up! It’s time for school.” I do not dare say no. On some days that we have been late, he says, “Mom, it’s getting late. I want to go to school and see my friends and my teachers.” and the times when I have not been able to take him for personal reasons, he has cried. There was a big change in him and I am very grateful for his teachers in Elkhorn and for SETA Head Start in general for their love and full support.”
“Ms. Jessica, Oh how I have so much to share about her person. Like I told Mrs. Melanie who was my interviewer. I talk a lot, so I definitely have so much to share. Ms. Jessica became a family member to us. She is great in every way. Not just because she became a friend of mine, but I can imagine that if she could become like a family member to us, she can be like that for other families as well. It’s been very therapeutic for both my child and to me to have her during home visits. Her experience, patience, knowledge and her love and care for her job and for my children made me feel at peace, to be able to open up to someone I didn’t personally know. She didn’t only help me with both of my children preparing them for school and in my toddler’s learning but she helped me in what I am going through with (the loss of) my husband and my brother. She has helped me express myself and to care for myself in order to help my kids. I would definitely recommend Early Head Start Home Base, especially to new moms. It’s very hard to find someone who really cares and with Ms. Jessica, I was able to express freely what I was going through mentally and emotionally. I am very grateful for her time, her love, and dedication. Thank You Ms. Jessica.”
“When we were diagnosed with our child’s condition, our teacher reassured us that there are support services that will help our child and our family. We are going to be okay. She is always there for us and makes sure that we get all the support that we need. From giving us advice to connecting us with the right resources, she never fails to make things better for us. Our
teacher is always checking in with us to see how we are doing. Especially when I was transitioning to a new job. She is always sharing and showing us different community events to join so our son can have more opportunities for the social interactions that he needs.”
-Karen and Michael
SCOE Early Head Start
7. Delegates and Partners
