National Head Start Association
Staff have worked quickly to identify damage and proceed with repairs so learning can continue
AVANCE-Houston, a leading national non-profit organization working to transform the lives of underserved, under-resourced families, has experienced two major natural disasters in recent months: a derecho and then Hurricane Beryl. The executive director, Luz Flores, shared that out of their 18 centers, only six had power. Staff and families were similarly affected, with many lacking basic utilities during a time of an extreme heat warning.
AVANCE’s Head Start program is for children three to five years of age. The program prepares young children to enter kindergarten by helping them develop mentally, socially, emotionally, physically, and ultimately, school ready. Its Early Head Start program promotes healthy prenatal outcomes and enhances the development of infants and toddlers from 6 weeks old to 3 years old and pregnant women, to create a healthy family environment. This program is offered in two different settings:
- Early Head Start Center-based is where services are in child development centers. More than half of the children are enrolled in center-based services, five days per week for at least six hours per day.
- In Early Head Start Home-based, services are mostly delivered in a family’s own home, along with planned group socialization activities.
Both Early Head Start home- and center-based include educational, developmental, nutritional, mental health and wellness, social and prenatal support services. With over 2,000 families served by nearly 400 employees, AVANCE has overcome significant hurdles because of the severe weather, including power outages, disrupted communications, and insurance claim difficulties. Despite these challenges, Luz emphasized the resilience and dedication of their team, who worked from home and assessed the situation via crisis teams. They sent out surveys to understand the impact on families and disseminated critical information through their mobile app and social media, both in English and Spanish.
Luz highlighted the importance of prioritizing employees’ well-being, stating, “If employees can’t take care of themselves and their families first, they can’t take care of others.” She remains optimistic, expressing gratitude for her resilient and committed staff, her resourceful Advisory Board, and other organizations, including the National Head Start Association (NHSA), for their continued support.
“NHSA always reaches out, and they’re always available to help,” said Luz. “When we were hit with these storms, they checked on us, provided resources, and helped us find funding sources.” When natural disasters impact member Head Start and Early Head Start programs, NHSA is there to help with recovery through the Disaster Relief Fund. The funds are available for the program, employees, and families. The importance of this fund cannot be overstated, especially as more named storms and hurricanes are expected this season based on the National Hurricane Center’s early forecast.
Programs that experience a natural disaster are encouraged to apply for the Disaster Relief Fund. This resource can provide essential support during challenging times, helping programs, employees, and families recover and rebuild. NHSA applauds Luz and her team for their courage and commitment to charting a path out of this crisis for AVANCE and the families while dealing with the impact of the hurricane personally. Their resilience inspires all in the face of adversity.
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