José found his voice as a Head Start parent. Now, he's encouraging other dads to use theirs too.
Your support helped José become a more confident advocate for his children’s education.
A few years ago, José couldn’t have imagined serving on any type of parent-led committee. Or, that a short time later, he would be elected president of one.
In Mexican culture, he says, “The man is the provider. He's the one who works, and the mother is the one who takes care of everything related to her children.” But when José stepped into the role of Policy Council President of his daughter’s Head Start program in 2025, he realized a child’s education is an equally important space for fathers, too.
A father of three, with an older son in Mexico, a teenage son, and Sophia, aged five, José had wanted to be a teacher when he was younger. “I wanted to help my community, but I didn’t have the resources to study. I have always had the vocation to teach—or to be a supporter for the community, for children,” he says.
José first heard about Head Start, a national early education program, through his son’s high school. At the time, Sophia was four years old and eligible to join the program at a neighborhood elementary school.
José and his partner were excited to enroll Sophia in the comprehensive program to help prepare her for kindergarten. Soon after, he also learned about the Policy Council, an elected group of Head Start parents and community members who help lead and make decisions about their local program, from budgets and hiring to the policies that shape how it serves families. Though José was curious about the council, his busy work schedule driving for Uber and DoorDash prevented him from getting involved.
Then, he was in a car accident.
After another driver drifted into José’s lane, he was left with a serious knee injury that required surgery and forced him to stay home for a long stretch during the winter of 2025. Reflecting on the accident, José says it was an experience “that went badly back then but brought me a lot of good things."
With the benefit of time, José decided to spend it volunteering for the Policy Council. He originally worried he wouldn’t fully be able to participate because he doesn’t speak English, but then learned council meetings are bilingual, held in English and Spanish, with additional support for other languages.
“Not only are you working for your children, but you also work for the community, for other people, or other children,” he says of being involved. A year after joining, fellow parents elected José as the Policy Council President. He stepped into this unfamiliar space and outside his own cultural norms, as a father in an area traditionally headed by mothers, but felt fully supported by his peers and the Head Start staff.
"What I liked most about the council is the way they work for the well-being of the community. I especially appreciate the people who supported me at all times.” José speaks about his experience thoughtfully and deliberately, choosing his words with the same care he brings to everything else. “I thought that because of my language, it wouldn't be possible for me to continue, but thanks to the support of each and every person, that was not a barrier at all.”
Since stepping into the role, José has become a more confident advocate for his children’s education.
“I would like to encourage parents to be more involved in their children’s activities. I hope more of them will join, especially men. Let’s be more involved. Believe me, it is worth it every moment you dedicate yourself to the community.”
The same person who once dreamed of teaching but couldn't afford to study is, in his own way, doing that work now, having helped guide his local Head Start program that prepared his daughter and more than 700 other children in Washington County for kindergarten.
“I don’t have a lot of money,” José says. “But this is a way I can help contribute to the community and this country.”
José may have had reservations when he first joined the council, but he found community and support, empowering him to take a leadership role he had once only dreamed of.