A Journey of Hope

When Idania first heard about Educare California at Silicon Valley, her family was in distress. Although she and her husband were employed, they were struggling to provide for their children, and the family had become homeless when another family member moved out and they could no longer afford their high rent. They immediately got on a waiting list for low-income housing but needed housing immediately.

Idania's sister-in-law let them live in her garage, and while Idania was grateful for housing, they had no rooms, slept on the cold floor, and were constantly worried the landlord would find out and evict them. It was particularly painful when Idania had to answer her children's questions about why they couldn't spend time with family during the holidays, why they didn't have a home, and why there was no Christmas tree or presents beneath it.

Soon afterwards her in-laws moved and couldn't bring Idania's family with them, leaving the family with nowhere to go. Idania's older son was diagnosed with ADHD, and she discovered he was struggling emotionally. Idania herself was stressed and coping with depression. If her children needed to be out of school due to COVID, she wouldn't be able to work.

Fortunately, Idania's friend told her about Educare and brought her in for a tour. The family was still homeless when Educare accepted Aleyah into preschool. "I had so much on my mind," said Idania. "I had a job, but I didn't have a home. I am so happy that the Educare staff member helped me to get Aleyah in. You have no idea what I had to go through to get here. There were so many hurdles."

Idania watched Aleyah blossom at Educare, "I am grateful not only that my daughter is learning but she is learning so fast!" she said. On her third day at Educare, Aleyah was counting to 10 and singing Jingle Bells and soon could recite all of her classmates' names. Idania has been amazed at her daughter learning Vietnamese, a third language for her. She also appreciates how much Educare emphasizes social-emotional development, which is so critical in the early years. She commented, "I am going through a lot with my older children, and I was thinking, if I had put them in a place like Educare, would they be going through the same things?"

With Aleyah attending Educare's preschool, Idania participated in the diaper distributions and attended a parenting class through Educare's Family Resource Center. Idania said that the class helped her in supporting her children in school, to have healthy relationships with her children, and to have a better mindset.

The timing of Aleyah's acceptance into Educare seemed crucial to Idania. "If I didn't bring my daughter at the time that I did, I don't think her learning would be as great and big as it is now because I have always believed in early learning," she said. "The earlier the better, because when they are kids they absorb so much. I love that she is learning so much. I think the fact that she is here, around so many kids and different cultures, the way they are learning, and the love and support she gets from her teachers, that's made Aleyah such a smart, intelligent, and independent little girl." 

Give today to support families like Aleyah's, families who cherish their children and know the importance of early education, yet do not have the resources to pay for costly preschool.

Educare provides high quality early learning for families in East San Jose, while offering family and parent classes, essential resources like diapers and fresh produce, and safe family events, like this year's pumpkin patch. 

Double your gift today through the Educare Board of Director's Challenge Match up to $18,000! Your gift of $50 will have a $100 impact! A gift of any size will truly make a difference in the lives of families like Aleyah's.