Día del Niño with the Head Start Community

First friendships blossom at Head Start. April 2025.

Chula Vista, CA — Excitement filled the air Wednesday afternoon at St. John’s Head Start. As school let out, children and their families flocked to the school’s field for a Día del Niño celebration hosted by St. John’s Episcopal Church. Día del Niño, or Day of the Child, is a time to celebrate and recognize the contributions children make in our world and promote their well-being.

Children show off their painted hands at Día del Niño. April 2025.

Head Start children enjoyed activities such as face paint, arts and craft stations, lawn games, and a raffle. Music and laughter rang throughout the event as children played and engaged with the activities and each other.

The Día del Niño celebration was a clear display of the impactful community that ECS Head Start has built. Melanie Flores, a St. John’s Head Start parent, shared that seeing all of the students, teachers, and parents interacting at the event was exciting and an opportunity to connect in meaningful ways. She shared that ECS Head Start has been a supportive program for her family. “I think that ECS is a great program. I would highly recommend it,” she said. “It’s going to be the best decision you’ve ever done. It’s really going to help them in their educational future.”

Sunshine and bubbles bring out big smiles. April 2025.

ECS Head Start provides quality early childhood education and wholistic care for the whole family. It creates a necessary support system and steady foundation for over 2,000 families every year.

Recent federal funding threats to Head Start attracted even more parents to the event, including Evelyn Selmon. Evelyn’s daughter, who attends ECS Zamorano Head Start, is a prime example of the impact Head Start can have. “When [my daughter] first started, she was shy, kind of in her shell. Now, I see her blossoming and socializing with other students,” Evelyn said. “I’m really amazed with her progress here.” Evelyn came to Día del Niño in support of keeping Head Start so that other children can benefit the same way her own daughter did.

Head Start staff enjoy celebrating their students. April 2025.

The community that ECS Head Start forms would not be possible without community partners such as St. John’s Episcopal Church. Jeff Bates, the Junior Warden at St. John’s, expressed how impactful it was for the church to host the celebration. “I’m so happy to see not only the partnership between St. John’s and ECS Head Start, but just the kids having so much fun and that we’re able to be here and help serve the community, our neighbors that are right around the school and church,” he said.

ECS is grateful to St. John’s for hosting a fun event to celebrate our Head Start children and promoting the importance of caring for their educational, social, and emotional wellbeing.

To learn more about Head Start visit Head Start & Early Head Start — Episcopal Community Services.

Children play on the playground and spend time together outside the classroom. April 2025.

Arts and crafts allow students to express their creativity. April 2025.

Growing Up Great with PNC Bank

Students give PNC Bank volunteer a group hug after reading activity. April 2025.

Community partners of ECS provide invaluable support to clients. One of these partners is PNC Bank, offering volunteers, classroom supplies, activities, and engagement to ECS Head Start students.

Last month, PNC Bank sent four volunteers to a Head Start center to celebrate spring. Students planted seeds and did some arts and crafts with the help of the volunteers. Afterward, students took their pots home and watched their plants flourish as they cared for them.

Students plant seeds to take home and care for. March 2025.

The springtime fun continued with PNC Bank’s Grow Up Great Month, where they focus on giving back to their community partners, and in their 21st year of building brighter futures, PNC donated new books for Head Start classrooms and a bilingual activity book for each child. Two volunteers from PNC Bank, Eva Bryant and Valerie Attisha, visited ECS San Ysidro Head Start to read with the children.

ECS is grateful for the support from PNC Bank. The volunteers and resources shared benefit ECS Head Start children, educators, and families, expanding education to a new level and creating lasting memories.

To learn more about ECS’ community partners, visit Partners — Episcopal Community Services.

Volunteers help students with a craft activity. March 2025.

Students’ plants bloom after a few weeks of care. April 2025.

From Head Start Student to Advocate

Amanda, now the policy advisor for the office of Chula Vista Mayor John McCann, is an advocate for ECS Head Start. However, her relationship with Head Start began years before she entered the mayor’s office; it began when she herself was a Head Start student. 

ECS Head Start gave Amanda’s family much needed support. *January 2025.

Amanda’s grandparents and her mother immigrated from Tijuana to Chula Vista when her mother was a little girl. Many challenges awaited her as she adapted to a new country and language. When she was in high school, she got pregnant with Amanda and while Amanda was a blessing to the family, the addition of a baby created new obstacles. Her mother worked one or two jobs at a time while also attending school. Amanda’s grandparents were able to care for her in her mother’s absence, but obstacles remained regardless. Amanda’s family needed support, otherwise her mother would need to drop out of school to continue providing for the family. 

Head Start created a strong educational foundation for Amanda. *January 2025.

Just in time, Amanda’s family found solace at ECS Head Start. Castle Park Head Start, located down the street from Amanda’s home, was also next door to her mom’s school, allowing the mother and daughter to spend more time together. “Sometimes during my recess and her nutrition break she would come to see me outside the gate, and we would play together,” Amanda recalled.    

Amanda shared a number of endearing Head Start memories, from lining up to walk to the playground, making friends, and even learning to always chew with her mouth closed. “I remember they [the Head Start teachers] would always do story time; they would teach us how to brush our teeth, how to read, how to clean up after ourselves. They were teaching a lot of basic social skills and just a lot of manners and how to be polite,” Amanda shared. “[My family] definitely knew it was a good place for me to be in and they saw me learning colors, I was learning my alphabet, I was learning how to socialize with other kids.” 

Preschool aged Amanda plays with classmates at Head Start. *January 2025.

Amanda and friends enjoy a cookie cake. *January 2025.

Head Start early childhood education goes beyond just academics and ensures that children are growing in all aspects of life. Amanda shared that as a shy child, Head Start helped her break out of her shell and feel prepared for kindergarten. “They really do prepare you for the next stages of life,” she said. 

Amanda’s positive experience with Head Start led her mom to place her younger siblings in the program, as well. “It really gave her peace of mind knowing that her kids are going to be okay, and they’re going to be learning and growing as a little person while she’s out there working and making sure she can provide for us,” she said. 

Amanda and her family are one example of the impact Head Start makes, but the quality early childhood education has touched countless families in the South Bay region. “They give you the tools you need in life,” Amanda said. “It’s very important that we are providing these programs to our low-income families just because there’s a lot of those here in South Bay and you can’t ignore it or avoid it.” Instead, of avoiding families in need of support, Head Start uplifts those families. 

ECS Family Engagement Center’s Grand Opening gave Amanda the opportunity to share her Head Start experience with the wider community. August 2024.

In August, Amanda attended and spoke at the grand opening of ECS’ Family Engagement Center (FEC). She shared how important it is to extend ECS’ services to any community member through a resource hub like FEC. “Having that hub there really helps families because now they don’t have to go look to find these resources,” Amanda said. “You’re bringing all of these resources to them, front and center.” 

Through her position in the mayor’s office and through her first-hand experience, Amanda knows that Head Start is a valuable part of the community. “I really do see the benefit of it. I experienced it, my family experienced it,” she said. “Head Start is pretty crucial for kids, especially at such a young age to get the ball rolling in their education.”  

Amanda advocates for ECS and Head Start through her position in the mayor’s office. September 2024.

San Diego is built on a beautiful and diverse community, and sometimes our neighbors need a helping hand. Head Start offers that support, but it truly takes a village. “It’s definitely really special because no one person or no one organization can do it all alone,” Amanda observed. “I think it’s beautiful for people and organizations to come together and provide that.” ECS Head Start is dedicated to the service of the community’s littlest learners and their families. A quality education is key to a bright future. 

To learn more about ECS Head Start & Early Head Start visit ecsheadstart.org.

*Caption dates may not be exact.

ECS Supports Head Start in D.C.

In light of recent federal funding discussions, ECS advocates for Head Start and the key support it offers to our community. January 2025.

ECS and MAAC in Washington, D.C., for National Head Start Association's Winter Leadership Institute, advocating for early learning, engaging in professional development, and meeting with lawmakers—including visits to the offices of Representatives Darrell E. Issa and Juan Vargas.

With key funding decisions underway, we’re ensuring that Congress understands the vital role Head Start plays in supporting children, families, and communities. Together, we’re raising our voices to protect and expand access to early learning programs.