Region 1-A
Cook County (City of Chicago)
In partnership with Every Child Ready Chicago (ECRC)
Region 1-A Reports
Early Childhood Regional Needs Assessment highlights data and stories from community members across the Region and includes strengths, family- and community-identified needs, and recommendations for how to make our local Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services more accessible and equitable.
Addendum includes additional community feedback captured as our Regional Team and Action and Family Councils shared our initial report’s findings throughout the Region.
Action Plan is a living community document that focuses on the top priorities from our Region’s initial ECEC needs assessment. Council members developed Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) goals for each recommendation and plans and timelines to fulfill them.
Early Childhood Needs Assessment: Focus on Mental & Behavioral Health features stories from families and ECEC providers about the challenges and successes they have accessing Mental and Behavioral Health services.
NEW Mental & Behavioral Health Addendum includes new information about the available Mental and Behavioral Health resources shared by caregivers, Early Childhood professionals, and community members after the release of our initial report.
Action Council Members
Amy Kendal, Maryville Academy, Administrator of Community Based Family Services
Anna Maria Pokriefka, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Nurse Practitioner
Bridget Rundquist, Share Our Spare, Director of Partnerships and Community Engagement
Candace Moore, City of Chicago Mayor's Office, Director of Early Learning
Cerathel Burgess-Burnett, Chicago Department of Family Support Services, Deputy Commissioner
Contessa Houston, US Department of Commerce, Field Supervisor
Debra Strickland, Teamwork Englewood, Associate Director
Denean Pillar-Jackson, TeachOne Wellness, Founder
Dr. Ariel Sylvester, DePaul University, Early Childhood Education Instructor & Early Education Consultant
Faith Johnson, Child Advocate, Parent/Family Member Representative
Felipa Mena, Power PAC Illinois - COFI, Child Advocate
Kate Connor, Truman College, Senior Vice President of Academics and Student Affairs
Kyrsten Emanuel, Start Early, Senior Policy Manager
Linzi Traini, KinderCare Learning Center, Center Director
Maia Connors, Early Childhood Research Alliance of Chicago (EC*REACH), Executive Director
Michelle Dinneen-White, Play Smart Literacy, Founder & Director
Nancy Salvador, Metropolitan Family Services, Early Learning Director
Natasha Croff, Chicago Public Schools, Parent Involvement Specialist
Norzaini Zulkefli, Illinois Action for Children, Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant
Saundra Inez Parker, YMCA Early Education & Care, Site Director
Stella Okere-Amadi, United African Organization, Case Manager
Takeyshia Watson, Metropolitan Family Services, Program Supervisor
Tasha Smith, Illinois Action for Children, Director of Referrals and Outreach
Tatianna Cook, Morton Elementary, Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
Tommie Robinson, Black Child Development Institute Chicago, Policy & Advocacy Chair
Family Council Members
Alejandra Montano, West Elsdon (Cook County)
Bianca Thomas-Eduok, Austin (Cook County)
Brenda Lopez, Roseland (Cook County)
Diana Lucia Padilla, Logan Square (Cook County)
Eleni C Remigio, Logan Square (Cook County)
Erika Reffett, West Ridge (Cook County)
Itzel Najera, Little Village/South Lawndale (Cook County)
Katy Donadio, Logan Square (Cook County)
Khristina Leshchinska, Clearing (Cook County)
Linda Wang, Bridgeport (Cook County)
Lisa Radcliffe, Roseland (Cook County)
Lizette Pedroza Guzmán, Brighton Park (Cook County)
Maria Dolores Gomez Lopez, Chicago Lawn (Cook County)
Maria Valladares, West Pullman (Cook County)
Priyanka Varshney, Edgewater (Cook County)
Scarleth Calcurian, Streeterville (Cook County)
Wendy Ramirez, Lincoln Square (Cook County)
Meet Your Regional Team!
Edna Navarro Vidaurre
Edna Navarro Vidaurre (she/her/ella) is the Regional Council Manager for the Region 1-A (City of Chicago). Edna has over 30 years in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care and has served in a variety of roles, including Family and Community Engagement Manager for the Office of Early Childhood Education at Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Assistant Director of Community Systems Development at Illinois Action for Children, and Preschool Teacher in CPS and at a Community Early Learning Center. Edna is a proud alum of Erikson Institute’s Illinois Early Childhood Fellowship and a 2023 Chicago United for Equity (CUE) Fellow. She serves on the Collaboration on Child Homelessness Illinois (COCHI) Leadership Team, Chicago Children’s Community Council, and others.
Edna believes that communities that engage residents in building a place they want to live is imperative to the well-being of children and their families. She is an activist in her Portage Park neighborhood, where she founded a local park advisory council and was instrumental in the allocation of $1.3 million dollars in capital improvements to her local Chicago Park District. Edna is married, has four children, and two dogs named Luna and Coco.
Jacquelyn (Jacquy) Ledezma
Jacquelyn (Jacquy) Ledezma (she/her/ella) is the Family & Community Engagement Specialist for Region 1-A (City of Chicago). Jacquy holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an Infant Toddler Specialist certificate from Erikson Institute. She was raised in Little Village and is the first college graduate in her family. Jacquy has 15 years of experience working in the Early Childhood field. Her experience ranges from providing direct services to families as a home visitor to most recently overseeing an education program as Education Manager. Jacquy is trained in a myriad of parenting curricula and has presented at Early Childhood conferences within the State and nationally. She now resides in Archer Heights and loves to travel with her husband, son, and twin daughters.
Mohammad Ibrahim Dellawari
Mohammad Ibrahim Dellawari (he/him) is the Region 1-A (City of Chicago) Administrative Support. Currently living in Chicago, he is a strategic professional in business operations known for high productivity and efficiency in task completion. Mohammad Ibrahim specializes in process optimization, project management, data management, and ensuring streamlined workflows and enhanced operational efficacy. He excels in communication and problem-solving, leveraging these soft skills to drive team success and achieve organizational goals.
Mohammad Ibrahim has a diverse background, having worked as an enrollment specialist, monitoring and evaluation officer, and senior regional administrative officer. He believes in transparency and coordinating with other stakeholders. In his free time, he enjoys playing football and being with friends.
Contact Edna Navarro Vidaurre
Please fill out the form below to contact Edna. Your message will go directly to her inbox. You may also reach her at (309) 393-2552.
Región 1-A
Condado de Cook (Ciudad de Chicago)
En alianza con Every Child Ready Chicago
Informes de la Región 1-A
La Evaluación de necesidades regionales de la primera infancia destaca datos e historias de miembros de la comunidad en toda la región e incluye fortalezas, necesidades identificadas por la familia y la comunidad, y recomendaciones sobre cómo hacer que nuestros servicios locales de educación y atención de la primera infancia (ECEC) sean más accesibles y equitativos.
La Adenda incluyen comentarios adicionales de la comunidad capturados cuando nuestro Equipo Regional y los Comités de Acción y Familiar compartieron las conclusiones de nuestro informe inicial en toda la región.
El Plan de acción es un documento comunitario vivo que se centra en las principales prioridades de la evaluación inicial de necesidades de ECEC de nuestra región. Los miembros del consejo desarrollaron metas específicas, mensurables, alcanzables, relevantes y con plazos determinados (SMART) para cada recomendación y planes y cronogramas para cumplirlas.
Evaluación de necesidades de la primera infancia: enfoque en la salud mental y conductual presenta historias de familias y proveedores de ECEC sobre los desafíos y éxitos que tienen al acceder a los servicios de salud mental y conductual.
La NUEVA Adenda de Salud Mental y Conductual incluye nueva información sobre los recursos disponibles de Salud Mental y Conductual compartidos por cuidadores, profesionales de la Primera Infancia y miembros de la comunidad tras la publicación de nuestro informe inicial.
Miembros del Comité de Acción
Amy Kendal, Maryville Academy, Administrator of Community Based Family Services
Anna Maria Pokriefka, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Nurse Practitioner
Bridget Rundquist, Share Our Spare, Director of Partnerships and Community Engagement
Candace Moore, City of Chicago Mayor's Office, Director of Early Learning
Cerathel Burgess-Burnett, Chicago Department of Family Support Services, Deputy Commissioner
Contessa Houston, US Department of Commerce, Field Supervisor
Debra Strickland, Teamwork Englewood, Associate Director
Denean Pillar-Jackson, TeachOne Wellness, Founder
Dr. Ariel Sylvester, DePaul University, Early Childhood Education Instructor & Early Education Consultant
Faith Johnson, Child Advocate, Parent/Family Member Representative
Felipa Mena, Power PAC Illinois - COFI, Child Advocate
Kate Connor, Truman College, Senior Vice President of Academics and Student Affairs
Kyrsten Emanuel, Start Early, Senior Policy Manager
Linzi Traini, KinderCare Learning Center, Center Director
Maia Connors, Early Childhood Research Alliance of Chicago (EC*REACH), Executive Director
Michelle Dinneen-White, Play Smart Literacy, Founder & Director
Nancy Salvador, Metropolitan Family Services, Early Learning Director
Natasha Croff, Chicago Public Schools, Parent Involvement Specialist
Norzaini Zulkefli, Illinois Action for Children, Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant
Saundra Inez Parker, YMCA Early Education & Care, Site Director
Stella Okere-Amadi, United African Organization, Case Manager
Takeyshia Watson, Metropolitan Family Services, Program Supervisor
Tasha Smith, Illinois Action for Children, Director of Referrals and Outreach
Tatianna Cook, Morton Elementary, Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
Tommie Robinson, Black Child Development Institute Chicago, Policy & Advocacy Chair
Miembros del Comité Familiar
Alejandra Montano, West Elsdon (Cook County)
Bianca Thomas-Eduok, Austin (Cook County)
Brenda Lopez, Roseland (Cook County)
Diana Lucia Padilla, Logan Square (Cook County)
Eleni C Remigio, Logan Square (Cook County)
Erika Reffett, West Ridge (Cook County)
Itzel Najera, Little Village/South Lawndale (Cook County)
Katy Donadio, Logan Square (Cook County)
Khristina Leshchinska, Clearing (Cook County)
Linda Wang, Bridgeport (Cook County)
Lisa Radcliffe, Roseland (Cook County)
Lizette Pedroza Guzmán, Brighton Park (Cook County)
Maria Dolores Gomez Lopez, Chicago Lawn (Cook County)
Maria Valladares, West Pullman (Cook County)
Priyanka Varshney, Edgewater (Cook County)
Scarleth Calcurian, Streeterville (Cook County)
Wendy Ramirez, Lincoln Square (Cook County)
¡Conozca a tu equipo regional!
Edna Navarro Vidaurre
Edna Navarro Vidaurre (ella/la) es la Gerente del Comité Regional para la Región 1-A (Ciudad de Chicago). Edna tiene más de 30 años en el ámbito de la educación y el cuidado de la primera infancia y se ha desempeñado en una variedad de roles, incluido el de Gerente de Participación Familiar y Comunitaria para la Oficina de Educación de la Primera Infancia en las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago (CPS, por sus siglas en inglés), Subdirectora de Desarrollo de Sistemas Comunitarios en Illinois Action for Children, y Maestra de Educación Temprana en las Escuelas Publicas de Chicago y en Centros Comunitarios. Edna es una orgullosa alumna de la beca de infancia temprana de Illinois del Instituto Erikson y becaria de Chicago United for Equity (CUE) en 2023. Forma parte del equipo de liderazgo de la Colaboración para los niños sin hogar de Illinois (COCHI), el Consejo Comunitario de Niños de Chicago y otros.
Edna cree que las comunidades que involucran a cada residente en la construcción de un lugar en el que quieren vivir son imprescindibles para el bienestar de las familias y sus menores. Es activista en el vecindario de Portage Park, donde fundó un consejo asesor de parques local y jugó un papel decisivo en la asignación de $1.3 millones de dólares para su Chicago Park District local. Edna está casada, tiene cuatro hijos y dos perros llamados Luna y Coco.
Jacquelyn (Jacquy) Ledezma
Jacquelyn (Jacquy) Ledezma (ella/la) es la Especialista en Participación Familiar y Comunitaria de la Región 1-A (Ciudad de Chicago). Jacquy tiene una licenciatura en Psicología de la Universidad de Illinois en Chicago y un certificado de Especialista en bebés y niños pequeños del Instituto Erikson. Se crió en Little Village y es la primera graduada universitaria de su familia. Jacquy tiene 15 años de experiencia trabajando en el campo de la primera infancia. Su experiencia abarca desde la prestación de servicios directos a las familias como visitante domiciliaria hasta la supervisión más reciente de un programa educativo como Gerente de Educación. Jacquy está capacitada en una infinidad de planes de estudios para padres y se ha presentado en conferencias sobre la primera infancia dentro del estado y a nivel nacional. Ahora vive en Archer Heights y le encanta viajar con su esposo, su hijo y sus hijas gemelas.
Mohammad Ibrahim Dellawari
Mohammad Ibrahim Dellawari (él/lo) es el Asistente Administrativo de la Región 1-A (Ciudad de Chicago). Reside actualmente en Chicago y es un profesional estratégico en operaciones empresariales conocido por su alta productividad y eficacia en la realización de tareas. Mohammad Ibrahim se especializa en la optimización de procesos, la gestión de proyectos, la gestión de datos, la racionalización de los flujos de trabajo y la mejora de la eficacia operativa. Destaca en la comunicación y la resolución de problemas, aprovechando estas habilidades interpersonales para impulsar el éxito del equipo y alcanzar los objetivos de la organización.
Mohammad Ibrahim tiene una amplia experiencia como especialista en inscripciones, responsable de seguimiento y evaluación, y alto funcionario administrativo regional. Cree en la transparencia y la coordinación con otras partes interesadas. En su tiempo libre, le gusta jugar al fútbol y estar con sus amigos.
Contacta a Edna Navarro Vidaurre
Por favor, complete el siguiente formulario para ponerse en contacto con Edna. Su mensaje irá directamente a su buzón de correo electrónico. También puede comunicarse con ella al (309) 393-2552.