February 7, 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Massachusetts Head Start guests at the State of the Union

Washington, D.C. – MHSA is thrilled to share that Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Senator Elizabeth Warren will be bringing two deserving members of our Head Start community to the 2023 State of the Union address. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley will be accompanied by a Dimock Center Early Head Start teacher and parent, Jaqueline Sanches. Senator Elizabeth Warren will be joined by a Head Start parent, and member of Policy Council at Triumph, Inc. Head Start in Taunton, MA, Eugénie Ouedraogo.

Jaqueline Sanches is an infant and toddler teacher at Dimock Center Early Head Start & Head Start Programs and mother of two young children. She has served as an Infant/Toddler Early Head Start teacher for 9 years. Jaqueline emigrated to Boston from Cape Verde in 2007 before working as an educator. With two children under 5, she is no stranger to the importance, and difficulty, of educating our children during these important brain-building years. As a parent who has also struggled with accessing full time child care to support her career as a teacher, she brings a critical perspective to the State of the Union.

Eugénie Ouedraogo is a parent who has experienced the struggle that many American families are facing with finding affordable childcare. She is a nursing student at UMass Dartmouth and a parent to three children. Two of her children have graduated Head Start while her youngest is still enrolled in the Home Based Early Head Start program. Eugenie relocated from Africa to the US in June of 2017 and has since become an American Citizen, along with her husband, Alain, last year. She said “They’re people I can trust…” when speaking at Triumph, Inc.’s building Friday, about her experience with the program. Eugénie met Senator Warren at a roundtable discussion during her visit to Triumph, Inc. Head Start in 2021 and we are thrilled that she gets to share the impact of Head Start and Early Head Start at the State of the Union.

“Head Start programs are critical to the success of thousands of vulnerable children and families in Massachusetts,” said Michelle Haimowitz, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Head Start Association (MHSA). “MHSA is honored that two members of the Head Start community from Massachusetts, Eugénie Ouedraogo and Jaqueline Sanches, will attend the State of the Union tonight. Head Start teachers and parents work hard to ensure that our most vulnerable children get what they need and deserve, delivering high-quality comprehensive services and partnering with programs and communities to support our youngest learners. We are grateful for Head Start champions Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Ayanna Pressley for recognizing the critical work that Head Start does in Massachusetts and highlighting the need for long-term investments in the Head Start workforce and our families.”