A single mom, Judith’s 2 1/2 year-old son, Rodrigo, had speech and developmental delays, and she could not find a place where he could be cared for in the ways he needed while she worked long hours at Dunkin’ Donuts. Her language obstacles made her ashamed to ask questions, and she knew no other parents in similar situations.
“The Child Center gave us the opportunity to grow as a family,” says Judith. “It showed me that if you have dreams, you can live those dreams. You want to be a good parent but you don’t always have the tools to do it. The Child Center has shown me how to be a better parent and a better person.”
Then she found The Child Center, where family workers and therapists helped her clearly identify Rodrigo’s educational and emotional needs and linked him to services, including help for his delayed speech at a special neighborhood school.
Intervention through The Child Center’s Head Start program gave Judith a way not only for her son to succeed and the tools for her to become a better parent, but a path to create a community for them both. She soon became part of Head Start’s Policy Council, first as a member and then as a parent advocacy chair. The Parent Policy Council shares governance of the program with staff and assists, among other ways, in assessing the changing needs of the community.
Judith also received help at The Child Center in working toward some of her own life goals. She has overcome her language barrier…studying English and working towards her GED, which she has just completed, earning an above average score. She is looking to college as a next step. Rodrigo is now a five-year-old kindergartener who loves school and is already reading and writing.