Birth to Five Illinois Was and Is a Great Support for Me and My Children – By Luisa

My five-year-old daughter started Kindergarten. From the first day, her teacher was absent due to an illness, so the children had substitutes or were distributed in other classrooms. My daughter was mistreated by several children on different days, which caused her anxiety. I had to take her out of school. I felt so bad and did not know what to do, until one day I called Maria from Birth to Five Illinois and explained to her what was happening. I had my daughter in home school while I was looking for a private school, but every day I felt more frustrated because it is not easy to teach a child, to prepare the subjects, the classes, the house, and the homework. For me, a light went on when Maria told me you have rights. You can write a letter explaining your daughter's situation and they can place your child in another school. Maria helped me write the letter to the school district. I felt supported, listened to, valued, and she gave me the strength to move forward. When I said that my child would not return to school, no one gave me options or offered any type of assistance or support. My daughter, after being a happy and outgoing child, now suffers from anxiety, but now in the new school we have had a lot of support.

It is very important to know that as parents we have a voice and that there are organizations like Birth to Five Illinois to support parents and children, because sometimes we think that we are stuck alone.