REMARKS
Personal experiences highlighting benefits of early childhood programs
0:33:38
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168 sec
Stephanie Garcia shares her personal experiences with early childhood education, both as a parent and as a former participant. Her testimony highlights the significant benefits of these programs for children's development, family support, and community building.
- Garcia's two-year-old son has learned two languages and improved his communication skills significantly since attending Nuestros Niños.
- She emphasizes the importance of these programs for building community and support systems, sharing that she's still friends with someone she met in a Head Start program 35 years ago.
- The early childhood program provides crucial support for Garcia's mental health and her relationship with her son.
- Council members express their commitment to supporting early childhood education, recognizing its importance for strong academic foundations.
Stephanie Garcia
0:33:38
On top of the fact that it does cost an average of $24,000 a year to send my son to school, before I had when I was employed, I was paying about $25,000 a year to to have my child be taken care of, and that was still considered affordable.
0:33:55
And in the two years that in the four months that my son has been at at Westros Ninos, he's picked up two languages, he's formed sentences, He's only two years old.
0:34:06
Like, people see him and they're and like, they're so impressed by him because he's curious, he's active, and all of that comes from Nessos Ninos.
0:34:16
Like, he's able to have a conversation with older family members in his family because they only speak Spanish.
0:34:23
He's able to communicate with them.
0:34:25
He translated something for me the other day, and he's a two year old.
0:34:28
So and I am also a product of these programs.
0:34:32
I went to a head start, and I went on to becoming a to become a functional member of society.
0:34:39
And if I did I'm still best friends with a person that I met at two years old at my at my head start program.
0:34:47
I'm now 37 years old.
0:34:49
This is how important these programs are to the community.
0:34:52
It's not just about education, it's also about building a community, it's also about building a support system, it's also about having friends and learning learning something that you wouldn't be learning at home.
Mercedes Narcisse
0:35:05
So thank you.
Simone Hawkins
0:35:06
Yes.
Ingrid Matias Chungata
0:35:07
Thank you for sharing.
Stephanie Garcia
0:35:08
I also want to mention that also for my mental health it's very important for my son and I to have space and for me to feel supported.
0:35:16
I really don't feel supported by the city.
0:35:18
I really don't feel supported by my job.
0:35:20
I don't have enough support from my family just because there's not they also have to work.
0:35:28
So if I didn't have Nuecso's Ninos, I don't know where I would be right now.
0:35:32
And my and I but I know for sure that my son, my relationship with my son would probably be strained.
Mercedes Narcisse
0:35:38
The good things we have 34 women and we have educators that have the life experience, so we're gonna do whatever we can to push.
Stephanie Garcia
0:35:47
And the wonderful 80 staff members at Miss Dos Ninos who have also who are also extremely dedicated to the organization, to the school, and to the families of the school.
Mercedes Narcisse
0:35:56
Thank you.
0:35:57
You.
0:35:57
Thank you.
Rita Joseph
0:36:01
Thank you.
0:36:02
Just another reminder, thank you for that and anyone who knows, I've always said this, if your foundation is strong, your top are gonna be strong and we saw the reading scores.
0:36:11
So by the time they leave you, they come, they take that test, they will be strong.
0:36:14
So continue to make investments but this council, 31 women, were committed to early childhood.
Stephanie Garcia
0:36:21
Thank you.
Rita Joseph
0:36:22
Thank you.
0:36:23
And thank you for your testimony.