The enduring impact of quality early education and community 

If you attended the 2023 Investing in Our Children Luncheon, then you likely remember the story of the Ledesma-Hunt family, whose two sons, Jeremy and Jeremiah, attended Head Start. You might recall how access to quality early education allowed the family to build and grow their business. Today, they continue to give back to Children’s Friend in countless ways. 

Children’s Friend was thrilled to honor J&A General Contractors with our 2023 Friend of Children Award in October. Learn more about their story:

In December, Jeremy continued his family’s tradition of generosity by helping facilitate the pick up of hundreds of toys and clothes donated to Children’s Friend through the Olivia Knighton Foundation‘s Christmas Toy Drive. 

Children’s Friend is grateful to be a part of honoring Olivia’s short but beautiful life, spreading her light, love, passion, and kindness by distributing these items to families in need this season. 

Family Engagement

One of the core elements of a Head Start education is family engagement. We are committed to supporting not just the children we teach, but their parents and families, too.

Family culture and communication play a key role in healthy child development. Family engagement activities teach practical strategies to implement right away to develop and maintain strong parent relationships.

These activities also help build a child’s ability to follow a series of directions, their fine motor control, and their ability to concentrate on the details of a project or task. 

Children’s Friend has hosted the Spirit of Giving Holiday Drive for over 30 years. The agency is actively involved with every child or family who benefits from the holiday drive, which means that the children and their families will continue receiving wrap-around support from the agency, even after the holidays.  

Your gift today will help Children’s Friend continue its critical work year-round!