I always hated the first day of school. 

My parents were migrant farm workers, so we were constantly on the move. 

I was used to being the new kid with no friends. The kid who got bullied. 

Meanwhile, my parents were always working, day and night. And we still had so little. 

One year, I had only two pairs of pants. I washed them by hand each night and sewed them whenever they got ripped. 

My name is Claudia Garcia, and I am the Child Development Program Service Coordinator at CPLC Early Childhood Development (ECD), a Head Start program. 

When I had my first child, I was working three jobs and picking crops in the fields like my parents. Remembering their struggle, I wanted something different for my kids. 

I'd always dreamed of becoming a teacher, so I enrolled in college. 

Between work and school, I needed help taking care of my son. I enrolled him in ECD, which I just thought was free daycare. 

Little did I know this decision would transform our lives. 

The program was so much more—my son was learning, and his homework assignments were helping us connect. 

One day, an ECD teacher told me my son might have a learning disability. She said it was difficult for others to understand what he said, but I refused to believe it. 

He couldn’t be different. I didn’t want him to go through the same alienation I experienced as a child. 

But to my surprise, they didn’t remove him from his class. 

Instead, they brought in professionals to officially diagnose him. We worked together to understand what his disability meant and how we could manage it. 

This early intervention helped us learn how to advocate for him in the classroom. It was also his first step towards a career in engineering. 

As a young mother, ECD provided critical access to food banks, clothes, and rent assistance. I finished my degree, became an ECD teacher, and found my community. Today, I am going back to school for my Master’s degree to study student disabilities and parent engagement. 

ECD was there for my family when we most needed help. 

Every now and then, I think back to when I was eight years old, scrubbing my pants in the bathtub. 

Poking my finger while threading a needle. 

I’m glad I can make a difference in the lives of children who experience the same obstacles I once did. 

Most of all, I am grateful for my son. He taught me to embrace the things that make me different. 

Sometimes, our greatest challenges are our greatest opportunities for impact. 

Sincerely, 

Claudia Garcia 

Child Development Program Services Coordinator 

ECD Texas