This Mom Went Back to School After Enrolling Her Child in Head Start

When you’re a parent handing your child over to someone else’s care for the first time, it’s more than just a logistical decision. It’s emotional, vulnerable, and deeply personal.

For one Step Forward mom, that moment came after two years of keeping her daughter close.

“She had never been anywhere else,” the mom said. “I was nervous. I didn’t know what to expect," Andrea Etche said.

But from the moment she walked through the doors of our Head Start center, she felt something shift. “My hand was held through the process. I was spoiled - in the best way - knowing exactly what papers to submit and when to do it. I fell in love.”

Her daughter, who used to cry every morning at her previous daycare, walked right in, grabbed a toy, and never looked back.

“We call her teachers ‘the Lady Js’ - Miss Jackson and Miss Johnson. She’s felt at home since day one," Etche said.

The transformation didn’t stop at morning drop-off. Her daughter, once quiet and hesitant, began speaking more, learning her alphabet, and building a sense of confidence and independence.

“She looks forward to coming every day. She is so happy here," Etche added, with a smile.

Etche was emotional reflecting on how far they’ve both come.

"Where did the time go?” she went on. “This program is amazing.”

And it wasn’t just her daughter who thrived. With the consistency and peace of mind Head Start provided, Etche had the space to begin investing in herself again.

“This program empowers moms,” she said. “It relieves you from the stress of childcare and you know they’re learning, not just being watched. That’s important. It sets them up for success.”

Etche is now back in school and reconnecting with her own identity, not just as a mother, but as a woman with goals, drive, and community.

“Growing up in Africa, we didn’t have anything like this,” she added. “That’s why I’m making it my mission to help preserve this program. I will reach out to my community and my peers to do our part. Head Start changes lives, and it changed mine.”