Julissy is passionate about early childhood education, especially in Brownsville, Brooklyn, the neighborhood where she grew up. Her interest in early childhood education grew from observing that children who enter school before kindergarten can be severely delayed in development because they are not receiving the services they need. 

As a parent leader, Julissy empowers others to advocate for their families by working alongside families to help stimulate their children in preparation for kindergarten. Moreover, she engages in family strength assessments to identify needs and strengths and establish goals with families — from enrolling in English as a Second Language classes to putting food on the table. Julissy has also been a member of the family advisory board for the Robin Hood Foundation and Brooklyn Children’s Museum Council. 

Seeing families overcome challenges and thrive motivates her to continue to work in the early childhood education field. Julissy aspires to spread awareness about the importance of parents and caregivers being the first and most important teachers to and advocates for their children.

DaShaun is a dedicated Program Director at the Community Action Organization of Western New York, where she passionately advocates for individuals and families. 

DaShaun’s commitment to education led her to write and secure a micro-grant aimed at empowering parents and students through education. Her ability to forge and maintain partnerships has brought valuable opportunities to the Western New York community, fostering growth and development. She represents families at short-term and long-term suspension trainings, advocating for fair and just treatment in the education system. She is also at the forefront of community engagement, hosting and co-hosting events that benefit the local community and conducting outreach to address its needs.

DaShaun’s career journey reflects her unwavering commitment to community empowerment, data accuracy, advocacy, and effective leadership. Her dedication to making a positive impact on the Western New York community continues to inspire and uplift those she serves.

As a first-time mother, Dejonea understands how a child’s early years can have lifelong impacts and exposure to new things can help brain development. She is an active participant in baby groups throughout Brooklyn, including the Brownsville Baby Café, which provides spaces for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to meet other parents and learn from lactation consultants.

Dejonea has a daughter who was diagnosed with severe autism at the age of three. Her daughter is now in daycare and receiving Early Intervention services. Through the Early Childhood Policy and Advocacy Lab, Dejonea hopes to advocate for other children in her community, while continuing to advocate for her daughter’s early childhood education. 

Amy has a background in social work and case management for underserved communities in New York City, and with her combined professional and personal background, she strives to be an advocate for equity in services and programs for children and families. A single mother to a four-year-old, Amy had to make the hard decision to leave the workforce permanently due to the lack of affordable child care in her Queens community. Moreover, during the pandemic, her son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. She faced many challenges receiving Early Intervention services as programs were impacted by shutdowns and had to move online. Since then, she has connected with many parent organizations and agencies, such as Parent2Parent and Parents Together, to fight for change for her son and other children. She looks forward to continuing her advocacy with the Early Childhood Policy and Advocacy Lab. 

Mansie, a mom of three, has struggled for the past few years to find access to high-quality, affordable child care. This challenge limited her ability to work and provide for her family. Since then, Mansie has been relentlessly working to improve child care and do whatever is in her power to prevent another family from going through what hers did. She likes to say that the definition of a system is a set of things working together; because the current child care “system” doesn’t work for everyone, it is not truly a system. 

She is involved with ECE On The Move, Moms Rising, and the Empire State Campaign for Child Care. Through the Early Childhood Policy and Advocacy Lab, she hopes to advocate for a system that is connected and truly works for all.

Merowe, a mom to children ranging in age from adult to infant, recently welcomed her eighth daughter into the world. Merowe’s first pregnancy was at the tender age of 16. As a teenage mother, she experienced many challenges she has overcome such as homelessness, domestic violence, unemployment, and several losses. Prior to the pandemic, Merowe worked as a home health aide and hospice aide for 16 years. Aside from caring for her children, Merowe now is the founder of The AnkhsGiving Collective, which is an organization that focuses on Indigenous peoples and their contributions to history. The AnkshGiving Collective also recognizes youth for their contributions to their communities annually, and Merowe creates programs through creative arts, writing, dance, and music, all of which give children the opportunity to express themselves in a safe environment. In the future, she hopes to further her education and looks forward to advancing her knowledge from the Early Childhood Policy and Advocacy Lab and applying it to her day-to-day life.

Dr. Erica Webster is a mom of two and a licensed therapeutic foster parent. Dr. Webster serves as the director of research at Youth Research Inc. She is currently working on the development of a Center for Excellence of Evidence-Based Programs. Her past work includes the examination of a pilot of infant/early childhood mental health consultation (focused on home-based childcare providers. Her research interests include early childhood development, social-emotional development, resilience, family wellbeing, and adverse childhood experiences. Dr. Webster holds a doctorate in education, a master’s in literacy, and an undergraduate degree in special education. In addition, she has many years of professional experience working as an educator in the field of early childhood. Dr. Webster has participated in the Empire State Campaign for Child Care and is interested in continuing her advocacy through the Early Childhood Policy and Advocacy Lab for improved early childhood systems, including ensuring that children in foster care are considered in advocacy spaces.