Learning the Value of an Education

Irma and her husband are picking oranges in Wimauma, Florida. Picture was taken in 2011, while Irma is six months pregnant with her son Eduardo. 

Farmworker, Irma Mendoza, is an important leader at East Coast Migrant Head Start Project.  She serves as the President of our Policy Council and as a member of our Board of Directors.  We recently had the opportunity to learn more about her journey to the United States, her experience as a farmworker, and her hopes for the future.

Celebrating Mexican culture during a Policy Council meeting.

Can you tell me about your background?

I was born in Atotonilco El Grande, Hidalgo, Mexico.  At the age of 14, my parents urged me to start working, so I started cleaning condominiums.  I knew I wouldn’t have a good future in Mexico.  I also knew my parents weren’t supportive of me getting an education, which is why I was forced to drop out of high school.  To seek a better future, my brother and I migrated to the United States in 2001.  We arrived in Quincy, Florida.  First, I started working with tomatoes, then picking oranges in Wimauma, Florida.  I later found a strawberry farm that provided work all year round.  The owner had approved for a Head Start center to be built for the children of farmworkers on the farm.  However, you had to migrate in order to qualify for services.  My brother was working up north and suggested I go to Leland, North Carolina to pick blueberries.  For the first time, I migrated for work.  Before leaving Florida, I inquired about other Head Start centers in North Carolina.  The staff  drew me a map to easily arrive at the ECMHSP Long Creek Center.  My one-year-old daughter Maritza started attending the ECMHSP Long Creek Center that season.  There was a lot of parent involvement at the center.  Between March and December, we lived in North Carolina, while the rest of the months we worked in Florida.  My husband and I made sure my children would be able to get Head Start services all year round.

Capitol Hill visits take place every year in June. Our farmworker families and ECMHSP staff meet with policymakers to advocate for our communities.

How did you become more involved at your center?

I believe it was in 2011.  The current president at Long Creek was leaving and nominated me to take over.  I held the position for three years.  At first, I was very nervous talking in front of a big crowd.  We had about 50 parents attending the monthly meetings.  I encouraged parents to be involved in their children’s education.

What was the biggest difficulty that you had?

After the Long Creek Center was destroyed by a hurricane in 2018, many of our families had to start attending the ECMHSP Bladen Center.  It was a very tough time because many homes were damaged, including mine.  I was chosen to be the President of the Parent Committee in Bladen, but the 2019 season there was only six weeks long, whereas Long Creek was six months.  It was difficult for me to adjust.  There was very little time to plan ahead and make decisions regarding the budget set aside for our family activities. 

Irma working at a strawberry farm in Florida.

What would you like to tell people to raise awareness about the life of a farmworker?

Since arriving in 2001, I’ve worked 17 years in the fields.  Besides having economic challenges due to not knowing when there will be a good or bad harvest, we also work under different types of temperatures.  Some days are cold and others we have to work in the rain.  We are also exposed to different chemicals and animals in the plantations.  Currently, we also have to face the challenge that more H-2A workers are being hired, so it’s more difficult for us to find work.

Celebrating Father’s day at the ECMHSP Long Creek Center.

What difference did you see between your kids that attended Head Start?

My oldest son only attended one season and struggled during the first couple of years in elementary school.  The transition between Head Start and public school was smoother for my other kids that attended four to five seasons.  I noticed a big difference in their growth.  We know it’s very important to go to school from a young age, which is also why we migrated for them to continue getting high-quality early childhood education services.  In 2016, I decided to go back to school to set a good example for my children.  For nine months, I attended class every Saturday from 9 to 4 p.m. to obtain my GED.  This was a big sacrifice for me.  Now that I have my GED, I look forward to getting my CDA credential in the near future.  My oldest son is a junior in high school, and had to work extra hard to do well in school.  I always talk to him about his goals.  He has big dreams of going to medical school.  I tell him he can achieve anything he wants to. 

Leveling the Playing Field for our Families

Children learn and play in a safe environment at the Jennings Early Head Start Center.

Yesterday, The Huffington Post published its video story on the ECMHSP Jennings Center in Florida.  It features farmworker, Vianey Lopez, who serves as the President of the center’s Parent Committee.  ECMHSP owes a debt of gratitude to Vianey for sharing her incredible story.  It is truly amazing advocacy and a shining example of the parent leadership at ECMHSP!

ECMHSP dedicated staff work to ensure we are offering high-quality Head Start services to our families every day.  The video brought to the forefront two of our many Head Start stars.  Sheri Anastasio, the Jennings Center Director, and Marimar Ramirez, the center’s Family Services Coordinator, could not have done a better job telling our story.  They went above and beyond!

Sheri Anastasio, Center Director at the Jennings Early Head Start Center.

ECMHSP is so pleased and proud with the finished product.  The video showcases the best of what ECMHSP has to offer.

This is who we are.  This is what we do.

We ask that you now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the film! Click on the image below to view the video.

Maria’s Commitment to Forming Parent Leaders

Maria Rodriguez is from Reynosa, a border city in the northern part of Tamaulipas, Mexico.  She loves the work that she does as the Governance Assistant at East Coast Migrant Head Start Project in the Florida Direct Services – West Region Administrative Offices in Bartow, FL – and it shows!

But Maria hasn’t had an easy life.  Prior to working for ECMHSP, she was a migrant farmworker for nine years.  Between March and September, she harvested tomatoes, watermelon, pumpkins, and asparagus in Maryland.  The rest of the year, she lived in Texas, where she worked in the melon and onion fields.  A typical day in the fields would start at 6 a.m. and end at 7 p.m., leaving very little time for family.

Left to right: Rebecca (20), Laura (25), Angela (19), and Maria’s grandson.

As a single mother, one of Maria’s main concerns was having a safe childcare provider for her family.  She’s proud her three daughters received Head Start services.  She first heard of the Head Start program in 1996 when the Family Services Worker from the Sudlersville Head Start Center, a former ECMHSP Delegate Agency in Maryland, knocked on her door.  All the benefits that could be provided for her three-year-old daughter, Laura, were explained.  Maria received the news as a blessing.  Her baby would not only receive excellent care while she was at work, but health and family services would be provided as well.  Shortly after, Maria offered to volunteer at the center.  Center staff noticed how great she was at soothing the infants and hired her as a part-time assistant caregiver, a position that she held for three seasons.  This experience made Maria realize that she didn’t want to grow old working in the fields.

Shortly after, Maria’s second daughter was born and she once again enrolled her daughter in the Head Start program.  At the age of seven months, the Head Start center staff contacted her to explain that they suspected a learning disability.  Rebecca couldn’t sit on her own or grasp things.  After tests confirmed the disability, staff quickly coordinated for Rebecca to receive therapy.

As a Head Start parent, Maria continued to be fully involved as a volunteer at the center and later as an elected parent leader for the center, her region and the ECMHSP Policy Council.  As president of the Policy Council in 2004, she ensured the parents’ voices were an active part of the organization’s decision-making process and learned the important role parents play in the success of their children’s future.  Maria holds ECMHSP responsible for her family’s success.  “If I hadn’t left the fields, my daughters would’ve probably continued to do the same line of work. East Coast [Migrant Head Start Project] made me realize that education is the most powerful tool that you can leave your kids,” says Maria.

Laura’s college graduation.

Angela’s 2017 high school graduation picture.

Today, Laura, 25, has a college degree in human resources, while Angela, 19, is finishing her first year of community college.  “At East Coast, they teach you the importance of an education, starting with the parents, whom are a child’s first teacher. Obtaining my GED in 2012 was one of the happiest days of my life. I had never thought about going back to school [before working at ECMHSP],” says Maria.

In February, it will be Maria’s eighth anniversary with East Coast Migrant Head Start Project.  Along with her colleague in the Governance Department, Maria Hernandez, she recently coordinated ECMHSP’s Fall Policy Council Orientation and Meeting in Philadelphia, PA.  When we asked Maria why she believes in ECMHSP’s mission, she said, “I enjoy encouraging parents to take a more active role in their kids’ education.  Each year, we see parents who don’t think they can hold these important positions on our Policy Council, but then become amazing leaders and advocate for migrant farmworker families everywhere.”

Twenty Years of Partnership: Ramona De Loera and East Coast

Ramona De Loera never had an easy life.  She is one of ten children and from the age of eight, her parents brought her to the fields where she helped with the work however she could. As she grew older, balancing her school work with farm work became more and more difficult.  Ramona failed the ninth grade because her parents pulled her from school for weeks at a time to help the family in the fields.  By the time she reached senior year of high school, she knew she wouldn’t be able to continue migrant farm work if she wanted to graduate.  When it was time for her family to migrate upstream, she stayed in Florida and worked three part-time jobs to keep contributing to her family.  Although there were many obstacles, she graduated with the help of wonderful mentors at her high school.

Ramona is very involved in her children’s education. She regularly visits our Migrant Head Start Center in Wauchula, Florida.

Ramona became a mother twenty years ago, in 1998, when her daughter, Esmeralda, was born.  At the time, Ramona was a farmworker and it was impossible to find a reliable and affordable care for Esmeralda. Ramona’s life changed for the better when she learned of East Coast Migrant Head Start Project’s Migrant Head Start Center in Chandler Mountain, Alabama. There, Esmeralda would receive wonderful care from Head Start teachers and would get a head start in life by becoming a dual language learner.

Ramona attends an event at our Migrant Head Start Center in Wauchula, Florida. She had the chance to dress up as one of Mexico’s beloved TV personalities, la Chilindrina.

A life of farm work can take a tremendous toll on the body. In 2006, Ramona was picking oranges in Florida when she started experiencing intense pain from transporting sixty pounds of oranges down a 20-foot-tall ladder.  Weeks later, Ramona would have her hernia surgically repaired and would no longer be able to perform this type of farm work.  She’s still working hard in the fields.  However, she’s now responsible for the irrigation and weeding of orange trees in Florida, which doesn’t put her at danger of getting another hernia.

Ramona was present at the National Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Association’s 2018 Public Policy Forum.

Ramona is the mother to seven girls ranging in age from one year to twenty years. Two of her girls will be enrolled in our Migrant Head Start Center in Wauchula, Florida this upcoming season.  Ramona proudly serves on our Policy Council as Vice President and on the Board of Directors of the National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association.  When we asked about her 20-year experience as an ECMHSP parent, she said, “To me, East Coast doesn’t feel like someone who is providing services to my family. Instead, I consider them a friend who is constantly giving me a hand. I’ve been blessed to be part of this organization.”  We consider ourselves the lucky ones to have such a great leader among our parents.  Thanks for your trust these past two decades, Ramona!

Promoting Parent Engagement at East Coast

For more than 40 years, ECMHSP has offered high-quality and comprehensive Head Start services to farmworker families.  We have created a strong partnership with the parents of the children enrolled at our centers, and through their dedicated service and leadership, we are able to design a program that meets the unique needs of the farmworker families in our communities.

One such dedicated parent is Gloria Castillo, who has been an ECMHSP parent for five seasons.  She was born in Queretaro, Mexico, and has lived in the United States since 2005.  Gloria has almost 10 years of experience working in the fields.  She’s proud to say that three of her four kids have had the opportunity to attend the ECMHSP Faison Center in North Carolina.

Gloria visits the ECMHSP Faison Center and meets Dr. Bergeron, Director of the Office of Head Start.

When we asked Gloria what the most important service that ECMHSP has offered her family, she says, “Health services is the greatest blessing from this program.  The ECMHSP staff is always on top of all vaccinations and routine exams.”  Two years ago, her daughter Leslie was thoroughly evaluated by the ECMHSP staff that focuses on disabilities.  They diagnosed Leslie with a speech impairment and immediately helped set up weekly therapy sessions.  Today, Leslie is doing much better and is a stronger communicator.

Gloria Castillo’s greatest treasures!

Gloria has been challenged to grow in ways she never thought possible.  She’s currently serving as the ECMHSP Faison Center’s President of the Parent Committee, an honor that she’s had for two consecutive years.  Her responsibilities include coordinating monthly parent meetings and attending training with the help of the center’s director.  Since she’s done such a great job leading the Parent Committee, she was also elected to be a part of the ECMHSP Policy Council since August 2017.  In the near future, Gloria hopes to start ESL classes that are offered by ECMHSP’s community partners.

While we proudly serve the needs of farmworker families across seven states, we recognize all that we benefit from their service as well.  We thank Gloria for being one of our superstar parents!

Planning for Head Start Success Through Shared Governance

Effective governance is an essential part of any successful Head Start program.  East Coast Migrant Head Start Project is proud of the strong partnership we have with our Board of Directors and Policy Council!  Their great leadership and unwavering dedication to the mission allows us to provide comprehensive, high-quality early childhood education and Head Start services to farmworker families.

Each year, the ECMHSP Board of Directors and Policy Council meet to fulfill their shared responsibilities and, in collaboration with the ECMHSP management team, provide strategic direction for the organization.  This year, the ECMHSP Shared Governance Meeting took place on July 20 in Raleigh, North Carolina, the location of ECMHSP’s headquarters.

Leading up to the Shared Governance Meeting, the Board of Directors and Policy Council members met with their respective standing committees.  Each committee meeting is filled with rich discussions as the members delve deep into their corresponding topics and do “the heavy lifting” in fulfilling their responsibilities.  Policies and program data is reviewed; proposals are made and debated; and committee recommendations are prepared for presentation to the governing bodies.

The Board of Directors and Policy Council built on the momentum from the committee meetings and met last Friday for their annual Shared Governance Meeting.  The President of the Board of Directors, Dr. David Conde, called the meeting to order and initiated introductions, followed by a moment of silence in solidarity with the children and families currently separated at the US/Mexico border and remain in detention or have been deported.  Then the President of the Policy Council, Meiby Mora Soto, presented her report, The View from the Policy Council, which exalted significant milestones and activities achieved by the Policy Council over the past year.  Following her report, ECMHSP’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jose S. Villa, provided his report, The View from the CEO, which provided a review of accomplishments and challenges of the organization.

The Board of Directors assumes legal and fiscal responsibility for the organization and charged with safeguarding the Head Start federal funds.  Each year, they are presented with the results of the external financial audit to ensure the organization’s financial statements are in compliance.  The external auditing firm provided Board and the Policy Council with this year’s report, which contained no significant findings.  You can view the results of the most recent audited financial statements on our website.

During the annual Shared Governance Meeting, the Board and Policy Council are provided with presentations on policies and applications that require their joint approval.  This year, they approved the 2018-19 Migrant and Seasonal Head Start grant application, the ECMHSP Strategic Plan for the following five years, and the updates to ECMHSP Shared Decision-Making and Internal Dispute Resolution Procedures.

Norma Flores López, Governance and Collaboration/Development Manager, with the ECMHSP Governance Team.

In between the thoughtful discussions and thorough presentations, the Board of Directors and Policy Council made time to celebrate as well.  The Policy Council hosted a beautiful baby shower for the Governance Manager, which became a night filled with fun activities, lots of laughter, and—most importantly to our tiniest guests—delicious cake!  At the conclusion of the Shared Governance meeting, the President of the Board of Directors also hosted a reception to provide the meeting attendees an opportunity to get to know each other outside of the board room.

ECMHSP Policy Council

The insightful input and careful decisions made by the Board of Directors and Policy Council provide ECMHSP with a road map to success for our Head Start program.  The farmworker families we serve from Lake Okeechobee, Florida, to Lake Erie, Pennsylvania, will benefit from last week’s shared decision-making and can rest assured that the leadership of ECMHSP remains as committed as ever to their families’ well-being.  We look forward to next year’s Shared Governance Meeting in Washington, D.C!

Farmworker Mom a Leader and Dreamer at ECMHSP

Migrant farmworker Meiby Mora Soto is both a leader and a Dreamer at East Coast Migrant Head Start Project.  The 29-year-old mother of one has served as the president of ECMHSP’s Policy Council since her election to office by her peers in August 2017.

Meiby Mora attends the 2017 National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association Public Policy Forum and Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Mora Soto was brought to the United States of America from Mexico at the age of 14 in November 2003.  She attended high school in Bradenton, Florida, for 18 months, but then dropped out and began working a variety of jobs in and around Bradenton.

Beginning in 2010, she found her most steady employment as a migrant farmworker.  She has picked tomatoes in her current hometown of Immokalee, Florida, and has traveled up the East Coast to the low country of South Carolina.  She then travels to the Virginia Eastern Shore to live in a labor camp and work in the fields from July through November.

Meiby and her son, Jovani.

ECMHSP has taught Jovani the necessary skills to be successful in school.  Meiby tells us that Jovani can easily make friends anywhere he goes.  He’s a healthy and happy five-year-old boy – living proof of ECMHSP’s success.

In addition to being a leader, Meiby is a Dreamer.  In 2015, ECMHSP offered Meiby pro bono immigration services to apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).  After multiple immigration lawyers had given her no hope of becoming a DACA recipient, staff at ECMHSP worked tirelessly to help Meiby.  Nine months after her application was filed with USCIS, her DACA dream came true.

“ECMHSP not only gave me a safe haven for Jovani while I was at work, they have given me the opportunity to become an advocate for migrant farmworkers,” Meiby says.  “They have shown me that my voice counts.”

ECMHSP Returns to California for NMSHSA Conference ‘18

John Menditto, ECMHSP General Counsel, thanks the parents that attended the conference during a plenary session.

The National Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Association (NMSHSA) held its Annual National Conference in Costa Mesa, CA, from March 2 through March 6.

A number of our dedicated employees travelled to the conference to make presentations on best practices we have implemented. Sofia Baucom and Consuellis Hawkins-Crudup, for example, presented a session titled, Planning Positive School Readiness Outcomes: A Coordinated Approach Model, while Sue Thomas, ERSEA/Child Plus Manager, co-presented with Andy Pederson, IT Manager, in the session, It’s All About the Data.

Traveling cross-country for our farmworker families has become especially challenging recently, making it even more important to have representation from the East Coast farmworker communities at the conference in California. Joining ECMHSP staff at the conference were Head Start parents elected to the ECMHSP Policy Council Executive Committee: Meiby Mora, President; Ramona C. De Loera, Vice-President; and Leticia Baez, Treasurer.

ECMHSP Policy Council members, along with Maria Rodriguez, Governance Assistant at ECMHSP, met with keynote speaker Sophie Cruz and her family.

These farmworker parents were able to attend the workshops on topics ranging from meaningful learning methods for their children to immigration rights and parent involvement. During the Parent Affiliate meeting, Ramona was elected as Member-at-Large and will represent the group as a member of the NMSHSA Board of Directors. We are very proud to see Ramona’s continued growth and will provide the support she needs as she goes on to represent and lead parents nationwide in the Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Programs.

Also serving on the NMSHSA Board of Directors are John Menditto, ECMHSP General Counsel, Patti Kingery, ECMHSP Director of Program Operations, and, after a successful re-election, myself. ECMSHP is honored to bring our perspective from the different levels of our organization as we support the Association’s mission to serve our farmworker families.

At the opening plenary session, attendees heard the inspiring stories of the recipients of the conference’s scholarship and Plate of Bounty awards. Among the members of the Head Start community honored this year was ECMHSP Policy Council community representative and former Head Start Parent, Cristina Hernandez, recipient of the Clint Mitcham Scholarship.  Cristina traveled to California to receive the recognition in person.

ECMHSP Policy Council Community Representative Cristina Hernandez (second from left) was awarded the Clint Mitcham Scholarship at this year’s conference.

Conference participants were able to hear from the Office of Head Start with informative presentations by Sandra Carton, Regional Program Manager for Migrant and Seasonal Programs (Region XII), and Sharon Yandian, Co-Director of the Early Childhood Development Comprehensive Services and Training and Technical Assistance Division. Sharon was introduced at Tuesday’s plenary session by John Menditto.

ECMSHP brought important and much-needed voices to the West Coast at this year’s conference. We look forward to more opportunities to represent our community at next year’s conference in Washington, DC, when the NMSHSA family will celebrate 50 years of MSHS services!

Norma Flores López on a Global Stage

Photo of Norma Flores López, Governance and Collaboration/Development Manager at ECMHSP.

In June of 2015, East Coast Migrant Head Start Project lured Norma Flores López away from another wonderful non-profit serving farmworkers, the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs in Washington, DC. We brought Norma to ECMHSP so she may work on a number of important priorities here: partnering with Maria Rodriguez and Maria Hernandez in supporting the work of the ECMHSP Policy Council; leading our efforts in collaborating with other organizations through her service to the National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Collaboration Advisory Board and as a Board Director to the National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association; and broadening our fundraising and grant-writing efforts. Along the way, Norma has created this blog, From Harvest to Head Start, and ECMHSP’s Facebook page.

This week, Norma is featured in an interview by Global March, in connection with her work as a Board member to the Global March Against Child Labour. As she states in her interview:

There is a misconception that child labor is an issue that happens abroad, outside of reach, and Americans remain oblivious to the child labor that is present in their own backyards. More people need to be educated on the human cost of the foods they consume each day, and the exploitation of child labor that is intricately involved in the American food production system.

You can read the full interview on the Global March Against Child Labor website.

We are so fortunate to have such a dynamic leader advocating here in the US and around the world for farmworker families.

Philadelphia Inspires the New ECMHSP Policy Council

ECMHSP welcomed a new Policy Council in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the birthplace of America. During the week of August 13 through August 18, parents representing all of the ECMHSP Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs gathered for the annual orientation, the election of the new Policy Council Executive Committee and the Policy Council meeting.

The week began with a meeting of the outgoing Policy Council Executive Committee on Sunday afternoon, at which the elected parent leaders reviewed the state of the Policy Council and the orientation plans for the week. ECMHSP is so proud of the leadership displayed by the Executive Committee throughout their year of service and thanks them for the active participation in ensuring ECMHSP Head Start services are of the highest quality.

ECMSHP Board Member Juvencio Rocha Peralta is learning about Policy Council Member Silvia Rodarte’s personal story.

On Monday morning, ECMHSP’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jose Villa welcomed the Policy Council to the orientation session and shared his passion for the organization and his personal commitment to the farmworker families we serve. New and returning Policy Council members were then given the opportunity to get to know each other through introductions and icebreaker activities. John Menditto, ECMHSP General Counsel, provided the Policy Council members with an overview of the Head Start program, its history and explained the program’s funding.

The morning concluded with a guest speaker, Maria Adame. Maria was formerly a farmworker parent who received Head Start services through ECMHSP delegate agency, Pathstone Corporation, in Pennsylvania. During her time at ECMHSP, she actively participated in its governance as the elected Policy Council President and member of the ECMHSP Board of Directors. Maria shared with the group that as a result of her involvement with ECMHSP, she experienced tremendous personal growth and was able to find inspiration to pursue her dreams. She is currently enrolled in college and is now the Family Services Coordinator at Pathstone Corporation.

Former Policy Council Member Maria Adame shares her journey with Head Start parents.

The afternoon’s orientation session was led by the returning Policy Council members with the support of the Governance Department staff. They were able to share information about the role and responsibilities Policy Council members, often times including examples from their personal experience. The new members were able to comfortably ask questions from the fellow parents and receive relevant information by people that understood their daily challenges.

Tuesday was filled with presentations from ECMHSP staff that covered important topics, such as school readiness, quality assurance of our services, the selection criteria for qualifying families, and the policies and procedures for governance. These sessions provided he Policy Council members with detailed information needed to execute their responsibilities in a meaningful way.

The afternoon presented an exciting learning opportunity for the Policy Council members. Philadelphia has a number of important historical sites that mark the birth of the nation and remind us of the importance of active participation in the decision-making of our country’s policies. At their tour of Independence Hall, Head Start parents were able to learn about the start of the United States government and how many of the important decisions were made. Afterwards, they visited the Liberty Bell and learned about the American values of freedom, liberty and equality – all which are needed for a successful term on the Policy Council.

ECMHSP welcomes the new Policy Council, which poses with the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.

The following day, Policy Council members participated in roundtable discussions on the important work done at the Policy Council Standing Committees: Planning, Child Heath and Development, Governance, and Fiscal. The orientation information of these committees were provided by the ECMHSP management staff that provide support at the committee meetings. They allowed Head Start parents to have more face time with personnel and get their questions answered.

Policy Council members ran and voted for this years leaders of the Executive Committee.

In the afternoon, Policy Council members were able to put into practice many of the things they learned during their visits to Philadelphia’s historical sites. We were able to witness democracy in action as the Policy Council elected its new leaders into the Executive Committee from a record-breaking number of candidates.

This year’s Policy Council Executive Committee includes: Meiby Mora, representing Virginia region, as President; Ramona C. De Loera, representing Florida Western region, as Vice-President; Leticia Baez Mellado, representing delegate agency Pathstone Corporation, as Treasurer; Silvia Morales, representing Florida Eastern region, as Secretary; Fernando Estrada, representing delegate agency Pathstone Corporation, as Parliamentarian; Patricia Miranda, representing South Carolina region, as Direct Services Member at Large; and Maria T. Reyes, representing delegate agency Benedictine Sisters of Erie, as Delegate Agency Member at Large.

New Policy Council members were able to learn about their roles and responsibilities from the ECMHSP staff and returning Policy Council members.

Following an exciting election, Policy Council members were able to learn the important work the ECMHSP Fiscal Department does to ensure our Head Start fund policies and processes are in compliance with the Office of Head Start, and the important role parents play in the process. They were also informed on ways they can be involved in ECMHSP’s Human Resources processes and the support the organization provides to help farmworker parents achieve their dreams.

The week concluded with the new Policy Council putting into practice the lessons they learned at the orientation sessions. They actively participated in the committee meetings on Thursday, where recommendations for the Policy Council were shaped after much discussion and thoughtful consideration. The new Executive Committee then led a very successful Policy Council on Friday, at which they voted on the important recommendations received from the committees.

The 2017-18 ECMHSP Policy Council at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

ECMHSP would like to give a very special thank you to the Policy Council members that made the time to participate in the orientation week to learn about their important role in our governance. Their active participation and passion for high-quality services for their children were truly inspiring, especially in such an important city for democracy and governance. We wish them much success as they start their term!