We recently talked to Patti Kingery, North Carolina Head Start Administrator, about the challenges and opportunities in anticipation of our center openings in three weeks. How have the last few weeks been in preparation for the start of remote services in North Carolina? Over the past two weeks, the North Carolina team, together with support from colleagues in Alabama and Florida, were able to complete applications for more than 100 migrant and seasonal farmworker children. 

On Friday, March 1, Representative Chuck McGrady of North Carolina’s House of Representatives met with ECMHSP staff Jenny Guzman, NCDS Head Start Administrator, and Carrie Jo Fiene, Hendersonville Center Director, at the Underground Baking Company.  This downtown Hendersonville bakery is one of Representative McGrady’s favorite places to have coffee and pastries, and we enjoyed the opportunity to share with him the services ECMHSP provides to agricultural families in and arou

Please tell me about your background.  How did you start working for East Coast Migrant Head Start Project? Before moving to Raleigh to work for ECMHSP, I was living in Arkansas.  My son Bryson went to a Head Start center called Child Development Incorporated, located in Russellville, Arkansas.  He attended from the age of three until almost the age of six.  He was advanced and went to the gifted and talented classroom; he’s academically focused.  During Bryson’s 7th grade ye

I recently had the opportunity to interview Mercedes Hernández, the Child and Family Health Manager at East Coast Migrant Head Start Project for almost three years.  Before her last day, we talked about her experience since starting with us in September 2016. How did you first learn of the position you are currently in? I have a friend who had worked for East Coast Migrant Head Start Project before. She had worked in the North Carolina Direct Services region and forwarded the

Sharee Harris is a preschool teacher at our ECMHSP Fort Pierce Center in Florida.  She attended our administrative self-assessment in Raleigh last week.  She shares her experience in this interview. What is your story at East Coast Migrant Head Start Project? My cousin told me about the opportunities at East Coast Migrant Head Start Project, so I applied straight out of high school.  I was hired nineteen years ago, in December 1999, as a substitute teacher for the ECMHSP Fort

At East Coast Migrant Head Start Project, we greatly appreciate those individuals who dedicate their professional careers to serve our farmworker families.  Donitta Turner became part of the ECMHSP family in May of 2000.  Among her responsibilities, she provided training to bus drivers and bus monitors throughout the East Coast, which meant that she spent several months out of the year traveling.  We are very grateful for all the years that she worked tirelessly to make sure

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 as

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

The ECMHSP Hendersonville Head Start Center opened on Monday, June 25.  Mayra Lozano, Family Services Coordinator, was one of the most eager staff members receiving our farmworker families on the first day of the season.  About 20 children showed up ready to learn. An ECMHSP parent is excited to pick up her children. The ECMHSP Hendersonville Center is unique because it’s located in Western North Carolina.  The county is known as the Apple County because it’s surrounded by ap

The ECMHSP Angier Center Zorylaine Perez was born in Puerto Rico.  I sat down to talk to her during my visit to the ECMHSP Angier Center.  “One day while attending my local church, a friend who has kids enrolled here at ECMHSP mentioned the organization’s career opportunities,” says Perez.  Since Zorylaine had already worked with legal services and advocated for families, her friend encouraged her to apply.  Parents at ECMHSP understand that they must take an active role in t

Celia Rodriguez was born in Mexico and came to the U.S. when she was two years of age.  Her parents were farmworkers for more than 30 years, so she knows firsthand how much migrant farmworker families struggle.  Celia recalls being a migrant farmworker child between the ages of 10 and 14 years.  The hardest thing about being a migrant farmworker child was adjusting to a new school and making friends.  Celia couldn’t make close friendships because she moved every three months.

John Menditto, ECMHSP General Counsel, with Lou Struble and Gaby Procacci of Procacci Brothers farms, which employs many of the farmworker families served by the center. On July 14, ECMHSP celebrated the Jennings (Florida) Early Head Start center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Jennings staff and the Early Head Start staff did an amazing job of hosting this special event. We had a number of important visitors attend the ceremony and tour the center, including Lamar Hill a

Debbie and Takila at the Newton Grove community lunch. Debbie Youhouse and Takila Newkirk are two of the unsung heroes of the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) program. Debbie works as a Program Specialist with the Office of Head Start, where she is responsible for overseeing the program services of eight MSHS grantees, including East Coast Migrant Head Start Project. Takila works as a Grants Specialist with the Office of Head Start, where she is responsible for managing

Lynn Bowen is the Head Start Administrator for ECMHSP’s Direct Services in Virginia. This is her experience as she and her team prepare to serve farmworker families at their centers. At East Coast Migrant Head Start Project, the summer season has a slightly different meaning. It is growing season for many farms across America and workers are called to harvest the fresh fruits and vegetables grown under the summer sun. The migrant and seasonal farmworker families we serve begi

Speaker Paul Schmitz at the conference. ECMHSP hosted our annual conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, from March 14-16. The conference theme was “Looking Towards the Future: Innovation, Leadership, Success.” Everyone in attendance received a wealth of information, with a particular focus on innovative practices to improve the quality of our program. There were far too many wonderful presentations to share the details of them all with you here. However, we do want to share w

Preschool teacher Kerry Cormier stands with QA Manager Beth Zinkand and CEO Dr. Jose Villa. Last week, East Coast Migrant Head Start Project completed its administrative self-assessment – the final phase of its annual self-assessment. When the Head Start program was created 50 years ago, the early childhood experts who developed the program understood how difficult it would be to provide high-quality early childhood education in impoverished communities.  For that reason, the

Blueberry harvest in North Carolina. Photo credit: Morgan McCloy, NPR This morning, NPR aired a story on North Carolina’s blueberry harvest, “For Pickers, Blueberries Mean Easier Labor But More Upheaval.” The report focused on a migrant farmworker family who followed the harvest from Florida to North Carolina, and then continued on to Michigan. Benito Santiago spoke with reporter Dan Charles about his family’s journey. His family made the difficult and often risky travel to f

Misael Rangel is part of the 2016 NMSHSA Summer Internship Program and as a child was enrolled in the ECMHSP Fort Pierce Head Start center in Florida. This is his story. My name is Misael Rangel. I was born and raised in Fort Pierce, Florida. I am the son of Teresa and Ignacio Rangel, who immigrated to this country in search of a better life by escaping the poverty of their hometown in Guanajuato, Mexico. When they arrived in Florida, my father began work picking oranges. Aft

Patti Kingery is the Head Start Administrator for ECMHSP’s Direct Services in  North Carolina. This is her experience on opening day at a one of our centers. After another successful planning season, ECMHSP’s Bladen Head Start Center, located in Ivanhoe, North Carolina, opened its doors on Wednesday, May 18, marking the beginning of its seventh season. Approximately 80 children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers are expected to be served at the Bladen Center this summer, whi

Workers place the berries directly into the plastic clamshell packages that shoppers will find in stores. Photo credit: Dan Charles, NPR This week, National Public Radio (NPR) aired the investigative report, “In Florida, Strawberry Fields Are Not Forever.” This report is part of the ongoing series by NPR, in collaboration with ECMHSP, focusing on our farmworker families and the work they do providing America with a safe and secure source of fresh fruits and vegetables. In thi