Our partner, the Idaho Children’s Trust Fund, recommended we be featured on The Resilient Parenting Podcast, hosted by former 94.9 The River radio host, Ken Bass and his wife, Michelle Bass, LCSW. Listen to the episode here.
Head Start NPRM Final Rule is Out
Click here to read the August 16th press release by the National Head Start Association
NHSA Welcomes Improvements in Newly Released Head Start Final Rule, Urges Funding Increases for Full Implementation
Project 2025 Would Eliminate Head Start, Severely Restricting Access to Child Care in Rural America
July 2023 - Idaho Business Review article ‘IHSA names new executive director’
The Idaho Head Start Association has recently announced Megan Woller as its new executive director in Boise.
Woller, an honoree of the Idaho Business Review’s Accomplished Under 40 list in 2022, holds a master’s in public administration and a bachelor’s in health education and promotion. Her expertise lies in program and partnership development, fundraising, grant writing, leadership, and event organizing.
With a background in multiple nonprofits, she has contributed to improving various issue areas, including nutrition security, intimate partner violence, youth substance misuse and community health. Woller is a member of the Boise State Latino Alumni Chapter and has served on the Idaho Hunger Relief Task Force and Jesse Tree Boards of Directors.
“Having been raised in a low-income household in rural Idaho, I am impassioned to advocate for the families and little ones served by Head Start programs,” Woller said in a news release. “My priorities are to increase awareness and support of Head Start, provide transformative professional development and growth opportunities for Head Start staff and parents, and to identify new ways IHSA can be utilized in furthering the mission of Head Start.”
The Idaho Head Start Association (IHSA) is a statewide organization consisting of representatives from Head Start, Early Head Start, Migrant Head Start, and Tribal Head Start. Established as a nonprofit organization in 1995, IHSA supports Head Start programs through advocacy, partnerships, collaboration, recognition, and professional development to achieve high-quality outcomes for Idaho’s children, families and communities.
Head Start is a federal program that has been in place since 1965, providing no-cost preschool services to children ages 3 to 5 and their families. Early Head Start services cater to families with children aged birth to three, with some programs also serving expectant families.
Head Start programs are available across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, including Tribal and Migrant and Seasonal communities, reaching over 1 million children and their families annually in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Idaho boasts Head Start programs in all regions of the state.
Policy change means more Idaho families qualify for Head Start
Idaho Press June 5, 2022
A small change in Head Start policy is going to make a big difference in the lives of hungry Idaho families with babies and young children. The Idaho Head Start Association is forming new partnerships to get the word out and connect families to Head Start’s early childhood services.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on April 21 that children who qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will now be considered eligible for Head Start and Early Head Start prenatal-to-five school readiness, nutrition and family support services. This decision increases the number of families that qualify for the free comprehensive Head Start program and eliminates burdensome paperwork that prevented families from applying. Approximately 22,000 children in Idaho are impacted according to 2020 data.
Head Start and Early Head Start services are provided by local programs in 39 Idaho counties. Making sure children aren’t hungry has been important since Head Start was established in 1965, and programs support breastfeeding, offer free formula to families, provide healthy meals and deliver critical nutrition support to families. Programs are currently accepting applications for the 2022/2023 school year.
Idaho Head Start officials will work with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, The Idaho Foodbank, local Head Start programs and other partners to ensure SNAP recipients are informed about Head Start services and understand they meet the eligibility requirements. Children who receive Temporary Assistance for Families in Idaho (TAFI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are already eligible. Children in foster care and those experiencing homelessness are also eligible to participate in Head Start programs.
Bill Foxcroft, Executive Director of the Idaho Head Start Association, celebrated the change. “Living in a food insecure household impacts the health of babies and young children and they may fail to reach developmental milestones,” he shared in a press release. “Head Start provides nutritious food to children along with a comprehensive school readiness curriculum that puts them on the road to success in school and life. Idaho’s hungry children must not be left behind. We applaud the decision by HHS.”
Heidi Caldwell, Executive Director of the Western Idaho Community Action Partnership (WICAP), said, “Inflation is eating into families’ paychecks and SNAP provides critical emergency support. Head Start helps parents get back on their feet by giving them time to work and pursue educational goals so they don’t need SNAP anymore. Streamlining the application process will make it much easier for these busy Idahoans to provide their children with high quality early learning services like WICAP provides in southwest Idaho.”
Parents and caregivers can visit the Idaho Head Start Association webpage at idahohsa.org to get in contact with their local Head Start program.
Head Start can change families' lives
By Karey Perkins Robles. Published March 6, 2022 in the Idaho Press
In 2019, I picked up a flier from Western Idaho Community Action Partnership (WICAP) Head Start at the laundromat and followed the directions to enroll my 4-year-old daughter. Little did I know how dramatically this small action would impact my life and the lives of my children. It’s time for the Idaho Legislature to approve funding that will allow Head Start to serve more Idaho families.
I knew the benefits of early childhood education and was glad when first Kayani then Hopey were accepted into the Emmett Head Start. What I didn’t know was that Head Start focused on more than children. It took a whole family approach. Trauma I had experienced caused severe anxiety that left me isolated and timid. My traumatic experiences also affected my parenting. I wanted better for my children, but I was unsure of myself and how to create change. Head Start has been the change.
Head Start prepared Kayani for kindergarten where she’s thriving. My younger daughter Hopey only spoke about 20 words when she was 2, and early intervention from the Early Head Start staff made a profound difference. Hopey became engaged in learning and her vocabulary quickly grew to over 100 words.
Kayani and Hopey are just two of the thousands of children WICAP Head Start has helped. Established in 1966 they operate 10 centers in six counties.
The staff encouraged me to start volunteering at school. I overcame my fear and started learning about early childhood development. I learned to be the parent my children needed me to be. I decided to take advantage of the many opportunities Head Start provided.
My low self-esteem melted away as I was elected to numerous positions including chairperson of the WICAP Head Start Policy Council, and, recently, as the vicechair of the Idaho Head Start Association Board. I continue to add marketable skills to my resume. The negative mindset that once consumed me has been replaced with positive beliefs and self-confidence. My fear about the future is gone and excitement for life’s possibilities shines bright. I found purpose.
Head Start has changed my life, and I know it can impact other families as well. On behalf of those families I urge the Idaho Legislature to approve Gov. Brad Little’s request to allocate $3 million of federal funds to allow WICAP and other Idaho Head Start programs to serve more families.
Karey Perkins Robles is a wife and mother of four girls and lives in Emmett. She serves as chair of the WICAP Head Start Policy Council, vice chair of the Idaho Head Start association board, and as a member of the Thriving Families Safer Children Coalition.
Grandkids Blossomed in Head Start
Bonners Ferry Herald
By STEVE STUEBNER Contributing Writer
| February 4, 2021 1:00 AM
When Tom Jones decided to move from Texas to Bonners Ferry to meet up with a woman friend, Kelli, he had romantic intentions in mind. If things worked out, he was thinking about moving to Idaho.
A lawyer by trade, Jones went to a Boy Scout Jamboree at Farragut State Park in 1969 as a kid. The beautiful setting made a lifelong impression, and he thought, “Someday I’m going to live in Idaho.”
Then he got a chance Facebook message from Kelli, whom he had met in his 20s. Jones remembered Kelli, and he immediately set out to help her with some business and legal issues.
“I was like, oh yeah, I remember her. Oh yeah,” Jones said. “I was wrapping up a legal case, and I came up to visit in Bonners Ferry. Pretty quickly, we started dating.” Soon afterwards, Jones proposed to Kelli on New Year’s Eve. She said “Yes!”
Both Kelli and Tom had grown children. But one of Kelli’s daughters, a mother of three young children, was not able to provide a suitable home for her kids. Not long after getting married, Tom and Kelli Jones obtained permanent custody of her daughter’s three children. “They’ve been with us now for four years,” he says.
“It wasn’t what we had planned, but it’s what God had planned for us,” Kelli Jones quipped.
North Idaho College Head Start Sparked Learning
Soon afterwards, they enrolled the two oldest kids, Kaylee and Rayna, in Head Start at the Julian Bucher Center in Bonners Ferry. The center is operated by North Idaho College Head Start. They were able to qualify for the program through their grandchildren’s parents’ financial situation. Typically, families must meet federal low-income guidelines to qualify.
Jones was immediately impressed with the early-childhood education that the girls received at Head Start.
“Kaylee just thrived in Head Start,” he says. “She really started to love learning. She was a naturally curious kid, and she was constantly asking us questions. She had a lust to learn everything. The early spark at Head Start has continued in her enthusiasm for elementary school.”
Jones liked the combination of things the kids learned at Head Start, including art and music activities.
“Head Start was perfect for her,” he says. “I liked the learning experiences they were providing to her, and I liked the teachers. It was a half-day of classroom activities, and then we’d talk about what she learned on a 30-minute drive back to our farm.”
Everyone Has Chores on the Farm
In the midst of raising the three grandchildren full-time, Kelli and Tom settled on a 20-acre farm, known as Bent Tree Farm Idaho. They turned it into a small business where they raise cattle, pigs, chickens and bees. At harvest time, they sell free-range, non-GMO beef, pork and eggs, in addition to honey from the bees.
“We love it here on the farm. It’s a beautiful, lovely place,” he says. “It’s a great place to live.”
That also means the grandkids learn responsibility from doing daily chores on the farm. Kaylee and Rayna help with the farm chores, and they also have responsibility to take care of two of the family’s four dogs. Kaylee takes care of Chloe, a chihuahua, and Rayna cares for Lulu, a corgi.
“Having regular farm chores definitely builds character and helps build their work ethic,” Kelli Jones says.
“On Saturdays, we kick them out of the house and tell them to go play – use your imagination. See you at lunch,” Tom Jones says. “They run all over the farm and have fun.”
Grandparents Learn and Grow Too
As part of having their grandkids in Head Start, Tom Jones got involved as a parent volunteer, first on the policy council with other parents, guiding local Head Start activities at the Julian Bucher Center in Bonners Ferry. And then he was tapped to serve as a parent representative on the Idaho Head Start Association’s Board of Directors for two years.
Following that service, he’s now serving as a parent representative from the Northwest Region (Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Idaho) on the National Head Start Association Board of Directors.
“Tom is a leader with high integrity and ideals,” said Bill Foxcroft, executive director of the Idaho Head Start Association. “I nominated him to the national board because he has been such an asset to me with his deep belief in Head Start, his perspective as a Head Start grandparent, his intelligence and his insights gained from his life experiences. I have been fortunate to have him on my team.”
By virtue of serving on the IHSA board, Jones visits the Idaho Statehouse during the legislative session and talks to lawmakers about the value of early-childhood education.
“It’s important to take the time to talk to legislators about the value of education for these young kids,” Jones says. “I like to put it in economic terms. And I tell them that early-childhood education is the smartest thing you can do for these kids. Head Start gets them interested and excited about learning. Head Start reaches them when they’re young, from age 3 to 5 before they go to Kindergarten.
“If you get them started correctly, that lust for learning will last a lifetime. You get them off of Medicaid, and they become an asset to society,” he says. “That’s what will happen with our daughter, Kaylee. She’s excited about learning; she loves to read. She’s a real go-getter who’s going to succeed in life.”
Passion for Head Start Spurs Advocacy
Despite their busy life running a farm and raising three grandkids, Kelli Jones said she’s not surprised that her husband has volunteered at the local, state and national level for Head Start.
“He’s very passionate about our children’s education, and he’s very grateful for the changes that Head Start has brought for our kids,” Kelli Jones said.
All three of their grandkids have gotten inspired by NIC Head Start, she says.
Rayna, the second grand-daughter, “she just blossomed in Head Start. She really found her own voice and become her own person at Head Start. She made her own friends, so she’s really grown both socially and academically.”
Their grandson, Malichi, 3, is in his first year at NIC Head Start. He’s been a quiet kid, a little slow in developing speech skills, she said. Through his education at Head Start, Malichi’s speech has improved, and “his confidence has increased. He’s doing great,” Kelli Jones says.
Kelli and Tom Jones expect to raise the children to adulthood. “The children have blossomed at Head Start, and we could encourage anybody to try to get their children into this program if given the opportunity,” Kelli Jones says.
Three grandchildren thrive at Head Start and at home
Even the youngest can help with farm chores
Reading is encouraged at Head Start and at home
Bent Tree Farm
Being a Head Start parent has been a growth experience
Jose Miguel Hernandez has always been a big believer in Head Start because he actually went through the program as a child growing up in Driggs between the ages of 4 and 6. Now he’s a 33-year-old father of three, who’s still thankful of what Head Start did for him as a child, and today, as a father.
“I knew the Head Start program was there to help you as a community resource,” says Hernandez, who still lives in Driggs under the shadow of the Tetons. “I liked being in the program. I knew it was helpful for me, and I wanted to do what I could to help as a parent and a community member.”
That opportunity came along quicker than expected. The current general manager of the McDonald’s restaurant in Jackson Hole, Wyo., Hernandez met his wife, Adriana, at the restaurant when they both were younger employees. Their daughter, Sophia, came along when Hernandez was working on getting a teaching certificate at Boise State University.
Financially, that put his college plans on hold while he and Adriana focused on raising their daughter. After they enrolled Sophia in Head Start when she was 4, Hernandez got involved in parent involvement activities and the Head Start Policy Council for parents to help guide the programs so they fit their children’s needs and the needs of the community.
“You get involved and you quickly learn that your voice counts, your opinion counts,” Hernandez says. “It was an awesome growth experience for me. We were able to do some things to improve the Driggs Head Start, and do some things to keep our teachers here in the community.”
Welcoming Latino Families
As a Mexican community member, Hernandez also has been able to share information about the Driggs Head Start program with other Latino families in the community, as someone who’s lived there for 30 years.
“We want La Raza (“the people”) to feel welcome,” he says. “In a rural town like this, we’re trying to make everyone know that Head Start is an equal opportunity for folks. Head Start is never going to turn you down.”
The Head Start and Early Head Start Programs in Eastern Idaho are run under the Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership agency, based in Idaho Falls. EICAP serves many children and families in a 10-county area. The Driggs Head Start program serves 18 families with children aged 3-5 in Teton County. Families must qualify for the program via federal low-income guidelines. They could be placed on a waiting list if their income exceeds those guidelines, officials said.
“Miguel has been a great advocate for Head Start,” said Jenniffer Reynolds, Director of EICAP Early Head Start and Head State. “He been really helpful as a parent volunteer in the community, and he’s been participating in outreach to the Legislature.”
“Parents are the heart and soul of Head Start’s success,” added Bill Foxcroft, executive director of the Idaho Head Start Association. “Alums like Miguel have built confidence in parenting and life skills that can carry a lot of weight in influencing other young families. This is especially important in rural communities like Driggs, where there are such deep community roots.”
Bilingual Household Supported by Head Start
Since those early days of fatherhood, Hernandez and his wife have had two more children, Abraham, and Jonathan. Abraham has completed Head Start and moved on to grade school, and Jonathan is not quite age-eligible this year, but he will be next year.
They appreciate all of the educational and social services that Head Start provides for their kids to prepare them for public school. Hernandez and his wife also decided to raise their children with bilingual language skills. The kids speak English at Head Start and in public school, and they speak Spanish at home.
“My wife’s Spanish is phenomenal, and I grew up learning English in a Hispanic household,” he says. “Our Head Start family advocate encouraged us to provide the opportunity for our kids to learn both languages. They are growing up bilingual so their heritage doesn’t fade away.”
Growing up with bilingual skills also will give the kids opportunities after they finish school, he said. “We feel blessed about doing that for our kids and keeping our culture alive.”
Volunteering Builds Confidence and Skills
Hernandez also values the opportunities he’s had to grow as a parent volunteer and advocate. Initially, he said, at parent meetings, “I was the quiet guy in the corner, listening.”
Over time, he got more verbal and actively involved. When a group of Head Start parents took a trip to the State Capitol in Boise, and they had a chance to speak to state legislators, Hernandez came out of his shell even more.
“We wanted the legislators to know why Head State needs funding support at the state level,” Hernandez says. “I laid it out for them, talking about my experience in the program as a young kid, and how it’s helping our family now.”
Hernandez felt that the legislators listened to him. For example, he had a chance to talk to State Senator Steve Bair of Blackfoot, who is also co-chair of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. He also spoke to legislators who represented the rural Eastern Idaho counties in District 32, including Teton County.
The Driggs Head Start program is growing. Because of the influx of residents moving to Teton County, there is a waiting list for new children and families to get on board. One classroom serves the community at this time.
Hernandez continues to try to help as a parent volunteer in Driggs, but it’s harder because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Covid has been throwing us curves left and right,” he noted. “But we’re doing what we can. We’re a small community, and we are here to help.”
He’s been helping communicate with other Latino families about resources that might be helpful for their families. The Driggs Head Start program helped his family plug into community resources and feel more of a part of the community, Hernandez says, and he wants to help others feel the same way.
In their own family setting, they set aside Friday nights as reading night. for the family
“We do a story time every Friday night. That’s because of Head Start. There were times when I didn’t like to read, but I know it’s beneficial for them,” he said. “Reading together with our kids makes them feel loved. It’s the right thing to do.”
For more information about EICAP Head Start, contact Reynolds at 208-522-5391 or go to eicap.org.
Miguel meeting with State Senator Bair at the Idaho Statehouse in 2020
Eastern Idaho Head Start programs inspire men to be better dads
By Steve Stuebner Published December 22, 2020 in the Idaho State Journal.
Will Strength learned to be a good dad from the experience of having two daughters, Kristina and Shyanne, involved in Pocatello/Chubbuck Head Start. Beyond the immediate benefits of early childhood learning for his daughters and social activities with other kids, it was actually the parent-involvement activities that gave Strength a window into a new and different life — a better life.
As the Christmas season approaches, Strength is especially grateful looking back how the whole experience changed his life.
“I didn’t even know I was a dead-beat dad,” Strength says. “The crappiest of dads don’t know how they are coming across to their kids.”
Strength struggled with alcohol and drugs as a young married man with two kids. He struggled to hold down a job; he hadn’t finished high school. “I was in and out of jail a lot,” he says.
An Ad in the Newspaper
His wife saw an ad about Pocatello/Chubbuck Head Start in a local newspaper. She wanted to attend a parent meeting and learn about the program. Initially, Strength didn’t want to go. “It sounded like some kind of a welfare program. I told her I didn’t want anything to do with it,” he says.
His wife enrolled their daughter Kristina anyway. Strength went to the next parent meeting, reluctantly skipping a pro football game on TV. They met with some other parents, ate pizza, and brain-stormed some fun activities that Dads could do with their kids.
Suddenly, Strength was a man on a mission. What if they created a group called Super Dads to do activities with their kids?
“The Super Dads thing changed the mold for me; it struck a chord,” he says. “I was like, this is my program. This is my baby. I’m going to do everything I can to make Super Dads spectacular.”
One of his favorite activities was to build cars out of cardboard boxes and race them down the hallway with other Dads and kids. They did these activities at the Pocatello/Chubbuck Head Start Lincoln Early Childhood Center. They also had movie nights, game nights and more.
No Time for Trouble
Strength and his wife, Heather, got so busy and involved with parent activities with Head Start that they both got inspired to pursue loftier education goals for themselves. His wife started working on a college degree at Idaho State University, and Strength got his GED certificate. He also got involved in the Head Start policy council, a governing board that oversees the program.
And he stayed out of trouble.
“I learned how to function in an organization without losing my cool,” he says. “It all helped me see the value in being a better father. Without realizing it, three years went by, and I realized, I haven’t been in jail for a while!”
Now, Strength is in his 16th year of assisting the Pocatello/Chubbuck Head Start program as a parent volunteer. He works for School District No. 25 as a mechanic in the maintenance department. He’s also finishing a college degree in social work and political science.
Head Start Benefits Last a Lifetime
His daughters are teenagers now. His daughter Kristina is attending Salt Lake Community College, studying fashion and design. Shyanne is a 4.0 student in 10th grade at Highland High School in Pocatello, and she’s got a job working at Papa Murphy’s.
“They have really excelled in life. They both have deep love for reading — and that goes back to the days in Head Start when I was reading Harry Potter stories to them.”
Parenting Teamwork
Will Empey is another dad who got inspired by Head Start activities to get more involved in his children’s education. Located in Idaho Falls, he played the role of a father who was more hands-off, and his wife, Emily, was more hands-on. They have a daughter, Mary, who’s 12, and a son, Liam, who’s 5 now.
“She was always involved, and I said I’ll show up for the parent-teacher conference,” he said. “But it’s really much better if it can be more of a team and tackle those things together.”
Empey says he was not all that interested in reading as an adult. But Head Start activities through the Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership caused him to read with his kids, and he enjoyed it. “We spent more time together, and my kids didn’t let me off the hook, they made me sit down and read to them.”
After a time, Empey saw the benefits of spending quality time with his kids. For instance, he likes to work on cars. And the kids naturally want to watch and help. Now he lets his son put the tools away in the proper place in his tool kit.
“I think we’re seeing a decline in fathers being active in their children’s lives,” Empey says. “But I find it very rewarding. Now we watch less TV and do more things as a family.”
Recently, Empey has been interested in developing some activities with other Head Start dads after learning what Strength has been doing with Super Dads in Pocatello. But because of larger group gatherings being restricted by COVID-19 at the present time, it’s not possible to organize group activities.
Setting An Example for Other Dads
One thing Empey has tried to do, and Strength as well, is to encourage other dads to get involved with their kids and spend quality time with them. “This is one way I can give back and help men become better dads. I want people to know that I’m there for them to reach out to,” he said.
Strength says he will always sing the praises of Head Start because of the way the program inspired him and gave him a new reason to live a clean life. “Head Start turned my family from being close to divorce to one heck of a family unit,” he says. “It showed me that there’s a higher reason for living.”
Head Start Parents Learn Leadership Skills
Empey serves on the Head Start policy council for the Eastern Idaho region.
“It’s important for me to do things with my kids outside, school activities or homework,” he says. “I want to have a strong role of being a father for their education,” he says. “On the policy council, I talk to other dads and encourage them to get more active in learning with their kids. They might be reluctant at first, but after they get more engaged, they’ll be glad they did.”
Bill Foxcroft, executive director of the Idaho Head Start Association, loves to hear stories like those of Will Strength and Will Empey.
“Head Start’s promise for every child to meet their full potential is grounded in a whole family approach, understanding that kids do best when both parents are involved in their children’s learning and development from the earliest years forward,” Foxcroft said. “Dad involvement is built into the Head Start model. It is crucial to their children’s healthy development, and many times, as in the case of these two men, it is life-changing for the fathers as well.”
The Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 Head Start program serves about 180 children and families in the Southeast region. The Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership Head Start program serves about 290 children and families in the Upper Snake River region. Both programs are available for families that meet low-income eligibility guidelines to work on early childhood education, provide families with community resources, and help parents enhance the social, emotional, physical and academic development of their children.
Will Empey and his son and wife.
Will Strength and his daughters and wife, Heather.
Kimberly's Emily Petersen works to overcome hardship and gives back to the Idaho community
Nov 28, 2020
STEVE STUEBNER Special to the Times-News
KIMBERLY — Emily Petersen is especially thankful at this time of year for the support she received from the College of Southern Idaho’s Head Start and Early Head Start for her daughters Emma and Ellie.
Petersen and her husband, Earl, live in Kimberly. She remembers how much her first-born child, Emma, loved being in Head Start. And she recalls how valuable it was to have a family support counselor from CSI Head Start helping her family after her second child, Ellie, was born with spina bifida, a condition where the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly in the womb.
“Our home visitor, Nicki Abraham, literally saved our lives,” Petersen recalls. “She was a huge help for us in finding community resources for us when we needed it most.”
Lives Upended
The day after Ellie was born — five weeks early — she was scheduled for brain surgery and back surgery. Emily and her husband were suddenly placed in a position where they needed to drop everything to focus acutely on Ellie’s needs when her first-born daughter, Emma, was only 4 years old.
That meant Petersen had to quit her job as a voice instructor. Her husband had a job in the vision/eyesight business, but due to Ellie’s qualification for state disability assistance, that allowed them to enroll Emma in Head Start.
“Emma did so well at Head Start,” Petersen said. “She had great teachers. She made new friends. It was so good for her to get out of the house and enjoy life as a normal kid. That experience literally changed her forever.”
From Head Start Volunteer to Community Volunteer
Many others are thankful for Petersen’s leadership as a parent volunteer — she was an integral partner in establishing the nonprofit Idaho Spina Bifida Association in 2015, she serves on the Executive Committee of the Idaho Infant Toddler Program for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, and she’s the current board chairwoman of the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities.
“She’s a wonderful advocate for her own child and other children with disabilities and their families,” said Shannon Dunstan, Early Childhood Coordinator for the Idaho Department of Education.
“She’s a busy mom, but she’s really passionate about helping others and building community partnerships,” Angela Lindig, executive director of Idaho Parents Unlimited, said. “She’s got the personality to talk with state legislators, and she does it with grace and humility.”
Head Start’s Positive Impact
Emma is now a freshman at Kimberly High School. She’s a top-notch student who loves to read and excel in school.
“Head Start put her in a place where she could believe in herself. It gave her confidence,” Petersen said.
Ellie went through Early Head Start and Head Start. She learned to read, early math skills, made friends, sang songs and followed the Head Start curriculum to get her ready for Kindergarten.
“We took everything that Head Start could give us, and we ran with it,” Petersen said.
Health and Medical Challenges
Petersen and her husband had their hands full dealing with all kinds of issues with Ellie’s disability.
“She had a different medical specialist for every part of her body” Emily Petersen said. “She’s really special.”
If all of that wasn’t enough, Earl Petersen has a medical condition in which cancerous polyps can form in his colon and stomach. That provided another layer of stress — and therapy — for the family to manage.
All of the medical bills and treatments for Ellie required government support. They enrolled Ellie into the Infant Toddler Program with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. The Infant Toddler Program connects children with services that promote their physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development.
Ellie needed occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy.
“Our family falls into Medicaid but we work really hard,” Petersen said. “Our hardships make us who we are.”
Ellie learned to talk despite concerns that she had hearing issues. She was diagnosed with auditory neuropathy and the specialists thought she would have “severe” hearing loss. But “she surprised all of the audiologists,” and it turned out she had “mild” hearing loss. With the help of ear tubes, she could hear just as well as a “normal” person.
Beating the Odds
Despite all of the time commitment required to keep her own family afloat, Emily Petersen ended up getting involved as a parent volunteer to help other families in the Head Start program.
“I’ve met some incredible families through Head Start,” Petersen said. “I’ve seen some other families’ lives completely changed through Head Start. It’s a program that gives us the strength and the tools to be who we want to be and have a better quality of life. All of that early intervention is so important, and it saves so much down the road to set our kids up for success in life.”
In 2012, Petersen received a “Beating the Odds” award from the National Head Start Association. She traveled to Washington to receive the honor.
“That was a really big deal for Idaho Head Start to see Emily recognized for her outstanding achievements,” said Ruby Allen, program director of CSI Early Head Start and Head Start.
Petersen got even more involved in parent volunteer activities as she saw needs arise through the prism of helping Ellie live a normal life.
“We are our children’s first and best teachers — you have to keep advocating for your children,” Petersen said. “If I see areas where I can help, then I feel I have to step up. So many families are dealing with such toxic stress in their lives. If there’s a way I can help reduce those stress levels, I want to help.”
Christine Pisani, executive director of the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities, says she loves having Petersen as her board chairwoman.
“One of Emily’s greatest strengths is her ability to work as an equal partner alongside individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to glean their wisdom for making difficult public policy decisions that guide the work of the Idaho Developmental Disabilities Council,” Pisani said. “Emily does not allow any ego to get in the way of spending time listening to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and families to gain the needed insight to direct the positions of the Developmental Disabilities Council. This is her super-power!”
Pursue Your Dreams
Emma is 14 now and Ellie is 10. The Petersens also have a young boy, Easton, who is 3 years old. Nowadays, Emily Petersen is finding time to resume her career interest in teaching voice lessons and music.
“It’s good for our kids to see us working on realizing our own goals and dreams,” she said.
She advises other parents to be active in advocating for their children, and nurture their talents. “We have to stay resilient,” Petersen said. “Be active and dream big!”
