The Sooner the Better – Maria Limon

My first experience with Early Childhood Education started 8 years ago when my second child was about one year old. The coordinator would come to my house and provide ideas of activities I could do at home to help my child reach important development milestones. She would also assist in finding resources within my community if I ever needed them.

Once my child was old enough, he graduated from the program, but 5 years later I reconnected with the program because I was pregnant again. When my third child was born and started to grow up, I started getting concerned about my child's speech. The coordinator was able to connect me with services to get him evaluated, and we were able to confirm my concerns. Services started, and the speech therapist would come home once per week to guide me on ways to help improve my child's speech skills.

My son grew out of the program, and the coordinator was able to help him enroll in the Early Education center in my town. At the center, they were able to continue speech services. Today, my son is on his way to kindergarten and no longer needs speech services. I am glad I was able to get the services my child needed just in time, all thanks to the help and guidance from the Early Childhood Educator.

As a parent, we want our kids to be healthy, but when we suspect something may be going on with our kids, we need to follow that instinct and find all the information as soon as possible. The sooner our kids get the services they need, the sooner they will reach their potential and succeed in school and socially. No need to be ashamed or embarrassed to ask for help or say your child is getting services. On the contrary, feel proud of being able to provide the best care for your child. They will thank you in the future, and that's all that matters.