Head Start has been such a positive experience for our family. I am a young, single, Grandparent raising my two young grandsons, now ages 5 and 6.
When my youngest Grandchild began Head Start he was shy and I was shy too; searching and growing as a person has changed my life compleatly to give the boys a lifestyle worthy of there little lives.
Head Start was exactly what all three of us needed. As I said, Na' was shy and unsure of himself. As a team we grew as a family. They provided us with the tools we needed. Na' now has so much confidence in his self, so much self worth, he is not shy to speak up and feels good about himself. He has learned things that he will carry into adult hood and I have learned how to help both boys carry those things into adulthood. I have learned postive parenting skills that work. How to make them work! I always believed in postive parenting, but did not know how to apply them all. I do know now. They work!
As much as Na' has learned, I have thought many times that I have learned even more. I have had parent support group and a family advocate to speak with who is so healthy in every way that she has been a roll model for me. I was on welfare for many years and now work for Head Start and in a place that I love. I always knew I was born to teach, but never knew how to obtain those goals. My family advocate raised my self esteem too...no...she help me have self esteem. She help me learn about being my best me. I feel I am more of a whole person than I ever felt in my whole life and I am 45 yrs old. I am becoming self-sufficient and that is something that no "welfare reform" was ever able to do for me!!!!
Head Start has truely been a "Head Start" for the rest of our lives. Our family has gained the skills to change a generation -- and the generations to follow. That is something so special, so special that the generations to come will benifit in our family for all the life times to come. Thats a lot of people.
Every child in our Head Start center has grown this year. We have a child with Downs, Gosh she is wonderful! So strong and beautiful...and independant! That says everything doesn't it? We truely have a wonderful Sucess Story! Thank you Merlin Head Start!
Sincerely,
Tracy (Brandi) Scherer