Office of Child Development & Early Learning
What happens when lived experience, cultural identity, and a passion for equity come together in one leader? In this episode, we explore how a personal journey fuels professional impact.
In this episode of the Thinking CAAP podcast, Beck and Heather sit down with Luisa Olivo-Wolf, Bureau Director of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development at the Office of Child Development and Early Learning.
Luisa shares her inspiring journey from frontline social worker at Community Progress Council to statewide policy leader, shaped by a deep commitment to family engagement and early childhood development. With roots in Community Action and a rich career spanning direct service, strategic innovation, and now public policy, Luisa brings a powerful and personal perspective on what it takes to drive meaningful, lasting change.
Together, they explore the misunderstood scope of Community Action agencies, the long-term work of lifting families out of poverty, and the critical role early learning plays in a child’s lifelong development. Luisa opens up about navigating multiple identities, embracing leadership as a Latina woman, and finding strength in vulnerability. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone seeking to better understand social impact work or chart their own path in it.
Thinking CAAP Talking Points
[00:00] Introductions and Purpose of the Podcast
Beck Moore and Heather from Holloway Media Services introduce the Thinking CAAP podcast and welcome Luisa Olivo-Wolf to discuss her journey in Community Action and the celebration of Community Action Month.
[03:10] Luisa's journey in Community Action
Luisa shares her experiences working in Community Action, starting from her role in Head Start to her progression to higher positions within the agency.
She emphasizes the importance of supporting families and engaging them to move towards self-sufficiency.
[08:46] Misconceptions about Community Action
Luisa discusses the common misconceptions about Community Action agencies, including the idea that all agencies are the same and that they only provide a single service.
She highlights the need for a deeper understanding of the diverse services offered by these agencies.
[10:54] Challenges in communicating impact
Luisa addresses the challenges of communicating the impact of Community Action, emphasizing the long-term nature of moving out of poverty.
She suggests focusing on storytelling and capturing smaller wins to demonstrate the agency's impact on individuals and families.
[14:13] Balancing data and client stories
Luisa discusses the challenge of balancing data analysis with client stories to effectively communicate impact.
She emphasizes the importance of resonating with the audience through both data and personal narratives.
[15:08] Challenges of funding sources
Luisa highlights the challenge of limited funding sources, often only one or two years, for long-term social programs.
She stresses the need to find sustainable funding solutions to ensure continuity of impactful work.
[15:35] Evolution of career and policy work
Luisa shares her journey from community action to policy work, emphasizing the natural progression of her passion for making change on a larger scale.
She expresses her appreciation for the opportunity to influence policy and drive positive impact.
[18:01] Impact of early learning experience
Luisa reflects on her experience in early learning programs, both in for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
She highlights the value of firsthand experience in understanding the needs and challenges of providers, families, and children in the early learning ecosystem.
[21:57] Journey to social work and community leadership
Luisa shares her motivation for pursuing social work, driven by a desire to make a meaningful difference.
She explains how her background in social work and community leadership has shaped her perspective and approach to creating positive impact.
[28:15] The Impact of Early Learning
Beck and Luisa discuss the importance of sharing stories about early learning and its impact on children.
They emphasize the need to provide a solid foundation for children to thrive and contribute to society in the future.
[29:52] Overcoming Barriers and Embracing Identity
Luisa shares her personal experience with her child's speech delay and the importance of accessing services for support.
She encourages individuals with multiple identities not to let them hold back from moving forward and to build a supportive network.
[32:29] Finding Support and Advocating for Yourself
Luisa emphasizes the importance of having a supportive network and advocating for oneself.
She encourages individuals to celebrate their achievements, push forward, and connect with others to continue learning and growing.
[34:45] Creating Opportunities for Others
Beck and Luisa discuss the significance of leaders investing in and empowering others.
They highlight the importance of creating opportunities for individuals and helping them feel comfortable taking a seat at the table.
[037:50] Gratitude and Connection
Beck expresses gratitude to Luisa for being a guest on the podcast and acknowledges the value of the stories and insights shared.
The episode ends with a heartfelt thank you to the listeners and a teaser for the next episode of the Thinking CAAP.
Transcript of Episode 11
00:00:00
What's up, everybody? Welcome to the Thinking CAAP. So happy to be here. My name is Beck Moore, the CEO of Community Action Association of Pennsylvania. With me is my fearless co-host, Heather Holloway from Holloway Media Services.
00:00:12
Oh, man, I think that's the best intro yet, Beck. Thank you so much, Heather Holloway. Happy to be here. And with us today is a special guest, a dear friend of mine and someone who I had the privilege to get to know in her work in Community Action. And now she's joining us from DHS and OCDEL, Luisa.
00:00:30
Luisa, welcome. Happy to have you. I'm so happy to be here. Thank you. Remind us of your specific title in your role now, so I don't fudge it and mess it up.
00:00:40
So I'm the Bureau Director of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development for the Office of Child Development and Early Learning, a dual deputy of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Just go on and brush your shoulders off. I'm just saying, how do you put that on a business card? I know it's very long. She has to have a larger wallet to carry it in because it's not a regular-sized business card.
00:01:04
It's actually a little bit wider than postcard. Awesome. And DHS, that stands for Department of Human Services. Thank you. And so I had the opportunity to get to know Luisa in her role at Community Progress Council, one of our agencies that serve one of our Community Action agencies that serves York County.
00:01:25
And she was doing some amazing work there, and we were working alongside of her with some special work in her agency to think about how to support team members a little differently and make sure to really create equitable experiences, and really have enjoyed getting to know her. And so I'm so happy to be able to continue to stay in contact and now have her on the podcast. Yeah, the feeling is mutual, Beck. Yeah. So.
00:01:49
All right, Heather, kick us off. We're here to talk about Luisa's journey a little bit, and really through the lens of celebrating Community Action Month in the month of May with not just Luisa, but a number of other professionals within our agencies supporting the entire state of Pennsylvania. So take us away, friend. Yeah. All right.
00:02:04
Awesome. Thank you. So, Luisa, can we talk about a little bit of the past? So take us back to the CPC days, the Community Progress Council days, and what you did there. Yeah, so I feel like I need like those special wind chimes, right.
00:02:21
That go like, back in time. So the journey with Community Action. Sorry, go ahead. No, you're good. So the journey of Community Action for me was sort of like a 180.
00:02:34
Right. Like, I sort of started in Community Action, went back to Community Action right before taking the position that I was in, that I'm in now. And so my first job, my first real job is what I would say, like, you know, the first entrance into the professional world was actually with Community Action and it was at Community Progress Council. So, you know, fresh out of college, a brand new social worker ready to change the whole world, you know, and I started there serving families in the Head Start program. And so that I was a family Engagement specialist at the time is what it was called.
00:03:10
And really just valued and enjoyed that work so much, really just getting to know families, helping them understand that the programs that they had their children enrolled weren't just about their children. Right. And understanding the scope of the work that we did and allowing them the space and time to reflect on their own personal goals and, and what they wanted for themselves. And that was so hard for some of our parents. Right.
00:03:32
And now that I am a parent, I understand back in the day it was a little bit more challenging, but it was hard for some of our families to just sort of not think about your child in the classroom. They're fine. They're with our teachers. Right. You're giving input to what that looks like.
00:03:48
And we want your advocacy and we want your time and energy to help us build this program better. But my time with you is, is about you. What are your goals? What are the things that you want to continue to do? And so that was awesome.
00:04:01
I did that for about two and a half years. At the time I was continuing my education, trying to get my MSW. And so I needed to be in an internship. Right. And it is very challenging for a full-time person who is working, a full-time working person, I should say, to also have an internship.
00:04:24
And so at the time of my interview for my internship, the director was like, well, we have an opening as a community school director. Are you interested in that? And I was like, well, yeah. And so, you know, I was early in my career, it was. I was at the Community Action Agency for two and a half years at that point and you know, always looking to pursue a different adventure and really create a professional portfolio for myself at that point early in my career that I could be really proud of.
00:04:55
And so I moved on to be a community school director. And community schools, I think, are very much in line with the work of Community Action Agency. Absolutely loved that work. Super meaningful to me as well. I was there for about two and a half years.
00:05:11
And of course we all know sometimes funding runs out, as was the case with the grant that supported my work as a community school director landed in private sector early childhood education. So working for for profit organizations and just sort of felt like I was still missing something, that social work component of my life, really supporting families and the work was meaningful and I really appreciated understanding child development and seeing the growth in children, but feeling like that family component was sort of still missing just because of the, the sector I was in. And so Community Progress Council at that time, this is six and a half years ago now, had a position opening and it was for the manager of the folks that I was a role in. So family Community Engagement Manager. I applied and was able to serve in that role.
00:06:05
From that role I was promoted to a Director of Strategic Initiatives at CPC which essentially was what's an innovative project that we have going on? Or how can we be more intentional about having our programs collaborate? How can we think about the way that we serve families and reduce burdens for them? So I did that for a while until my last position, which was Assistant Chief Program Officer, overseeing all of the early childhood education programs provided by the Community Action Agency. So I feel like all of those little experiences sort of came full circle, and I was really able to combine my love for early early childhood education and my love for that for families and engaging them and helping them move towards self-sufficiency, sort of under the umbrella of a Community Action agency.
00:06:53
So it was really a great fit and I am honored by that experience and I think that it actually led me to where I am, and I wouldn't be here had it not been for some of those experiences. I love that. Thank you for sharing all that. I want to go back to something you shared in the beginning around the Head Start piece and working very specifically, intentionally with parents in that program. And so that, you know, I think for those of us who are parents and, and particularly those of us who are non-traditional parents in the sense that.
00:07:22
Right. Like for me, right. I've, you know, become a parent through a windy road of now taking care of my, my son who's biologically my nephew, and I think so got custody of him when he was 10 months old. And I think that idea of separating yourself as a parent is something that I didn't understand. And then having a child who I described as like fully baked and running around the house is a.
00:07:48
Then it feels a little bit like immersive therapy to a degree. And so trying to help someone who is dealing with, you know, multidimensional situations happening in a household. Right. Trying to help them to find their way through a challenging situation, surrounding them with the right resources to try to get them to focus on themselves. It may sound really simple, but for those of us who have kids, both traditional and non-traditional means different.
00:08:18
Different dynamics at play for sure. So when you think about right then, your kind of journey through Community Action and the work that you've done. Now I know we've had this conversation off and on, what's some of the things that really resonate? Because I know that you continue to be an advocate for Community Action. What are some of the things that you're surprised about that people don't know about the work that you were doing on a day-to-day basis, or the work of community action on the whole?
00:08:46
So just to clarify your question, specifically, it's around the work of Community Action. Yeah. Oh man, where do I begin? So I think the biggest misconception of Community Action agencies is that they are the same. Right?
00:09:03
And I think that that is a huge misconception within the community and a lack of really understanding the data and deep dive it takes to run a Community Action agency and the responsiveness of that Community Action agency to the community it serves. Right. It really is informed by the needs of that population. And I think that that's a misconception, right. That one agency in one area of the commonwealth is going to look the same as another.
00:09:31
That's. That's not the case, as you know very well. And so I think that that is one of the biggest ones. The other one, interestingly enough, I think, is that a Community Action agency provides name, single service, right? Absolutely, yes.
00:09:46
And I think that is something that I know that I struggled with when I was working in Community Action and fun fact, and I didn't say this before, but I actually interned at a different Community Action agency when I was going through my bachelor's in social work. So I have a little bit of perspective from a couple of Community Action programs. And I've also sort of heard this through, you know, the network. It's. The community sometimes will identify that agency as oh, that's Head Start or oh, that's weatherization.
00:10:16
Right. Not understanding that full scope of services that really could support that family in moving, you know, towards self-sufficiency. And so I think that that is a challenge and something that is hard to address as Community Action agency because you want families to know that you provide weatherization or early childhood education, whatever you Know that service that the community most recognizes you for is. But you also want them to understand that full complement because many times when you can sort of marry all of the services that you can provide, that's how you really get people ahead. Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely.
00:10:54
It's one of the hardest parts about. So part of our role as an association, right, is to tell the story about Community Action. And Heather and I, you know, partner with. We partner with Holloway Media Services to do a lot of our social media work, and trying to figure out what is. When do we.
00:11:07
When are we trying to speak specifically to our members? When are we trying to speak to the general community in order to tell the story? And to your point, right, we have. I think It's. It's either 28 or 32 of our 42.
00:11:17
I can never remember this number off the top of my head. Of our agencies are Head Start providers, but the remainder of them are not. And so right. When it's. It's about the local responsiveness.
00:11:29
And so when there's, there's not a lot of. Always a lot of unifiers from one county to the next or one agency to the next. And it creates a challenge in how we tell the story, for sure. Although, you know, Holloway Media is helping us to do a better job of that. And thank you for being here today to help continue to aid us in that journey.
00:11:49
I appreciate that so much, Beck. But, you know, quality in, quality out. So you're, you. And sharing these stories helps. Helps to promote the overall greater story.
00:11:57
So we just talked about how, you know, we can as an agency get pigeonholed into one specific thing. Right. But we do many, many things. The other challenge that I'm finding is that it's hard to talk about the impact. Did you see that while you were at CPC?
00:12:14
And then part two to that is what do you think we can do to change that narrative? Yeah, I mean, it's a challenging thing to answer, right? Like, I think that's why we continue to ask the question. And I think it can be challenging to see the impact because moving out of poverty takes time and it's not something that, you know, one day you're, you're going to be able to wake up and all of a sudden all of these, these societal and personal issues are going to go away. Right.
00:12:45
Like, that's just not how it works. And sometimes that journey is years long. And so it is challenging, I think sometimes, to see that progression. And maybe a way to address that would be to really focus on some of those smaller wins. Right.
00:13:04
And trying to capture that and tell those stories. Right. I'm a big believer in data, but I'm also a big believer in storytelling. Right. And I think that that is so impactful when you hear somebody's personal account or personal experience of engaging with a program and agency a person.
00:13:21
Right. I think that that often stays with you longer than, you know, 42% of our participants gained X. While that is important and I 100% understand the need for it and support it, I think that we also have to have those stories available to us. And that can also be a challenge because you're asking folks to be really vulnerable in the situation. Right.
00:13:48
And if they've progressed and sort of gotten out of a situation that was not beneficial to their family, they might be more excited to tell that sort of at the end of the journey. But when you have those middle stones, it can be hard sometimes to celebrate that and see that. Yeah, yeah. It's something we talk about oftentimes in our communications and development calls that we host for our agency team members in those roles is that it's important to do both, right. The data and the storytelling.
00:14:13
And for some people, right. Like, yeah, I'm a total data nerd. But what I'm going to remember and be able to help somebody understand about our work is often embedded in that client story. And so you've got to do both at the same time. And that's tricky when you're trying to think about how do I do that on social media or how do I do that in a one pager, how do we do that in a case for support.
00:14:33
But it matters at the end of the day to help to drive and resonate with all of the people you're trying to communicate with. For sure. And I think the other thing about you mentioned there about the time frame it takes to help somebody truly become self sufficient or economically mobile or however you describe it is also that a lot of funding sources, right. Are typically a one-year funding source or maybe they're two years or an opportunity to expand. But it's one of the challenges of how we fund the work so often within our agencies in trying to figure that out because just because the funding ends doesn't mean the work goes away.
00:15:08
Right? Right. I want to make sure to give you a little bit of an opportunity to talk about your work today because I think to your point earlier, right. Your journey in Community Action sort of led you to the work you're doing now, and is such a natural, I think, evolution of what you've been passionate about. And now you have the opportunity to make change on a larger level and to really be a part of policy setting on a larger level.
00:15:35
And so not so much, right, the policy work that you're doing, but just tell us a little bit about what you're doing today and what kind of the day-to-day looks like and why you've. I know in speaking to you, you've really appreciated the work that you're doing. So talk to us a little bit about that. Yeah, definitely. I've appreciated it so much, and I feel like it's such a good fit.
00:15:56
And I think when I was sort of in the moment and experiencing my career, for lack of a better word, for the last few years, decades, whatever, not to, you know, age myself, but you know, sometimes I think it's hard when you're in it, right, to understand why you're doing what you're doing, right. And why sort of life leads you on some paths. And what I've come to, you know, reflect and understand is that all of those things really happen for a reason and you've gained skills where you didn't even understand how they were going to connect when you were in it, right? So there was a period of time, as an example, where there was grant issues, etc. And I didn't have a job, and I had a friend who needed an assistant, and so I did some work for him for about a year.
00:16:51
But it was completely different than anything I've ever done, right. It was essentially like operations for a for-profit corporation. Very, very different situation than I ever found myself in. But I understood budgets, I understood, you know, policy, I understood HR stuff. And I would sit in there like, what am I doing with my time and myself in this?
00:17:14
But even that experience, right, led itself to where I'm at now. And I think, you know, the work of Community Action, really truly understanding publicly funded early childhood programs, has allowed me to have a really different view and an opportunity to provide some perspective in the role that I'm in, right? So I've been an early learning provider both for a for-profit organization and for a nonprofit organization. I know what it means to have four babies looking at me, all wanting something right in an infant room. I know what it's like to have 20 preschoolers that are super excited to like do their weather for the day and listen to our story.
00:18:01
I have been in those shoes. I have felt that. And yes, you have to collect the data in the moment your eyes and cross your T's and make sure the paperwork's filed at the same time, even though all four babies are crying at the same time. And you still have to be able to do that in order to show your impact and right. Compliance work.
00:18:20
Right, right. On both ends. Right. Like in a nonprofit scenario and a for-profit scenario. You know, as a director, you know, I had to make sure my staff's timesheets were there.
00:18:31
I got my staff schedule, I submitted everything I needed to submit. Right. And so you still wear all of those hats. And so I feel like the experiences that I've had in my journey have allowed me to have the opportunity to view things from different lenses. And I think that that's really beneficial in my role.
00:18:50
So in my role, I support, obviously, early learning policies, specifically as it relates to, to the CCW program or child care works, our subsidy program here in the Commonwealth, and other policies that are influenced in the early learning community. Our bureau also oversees the Pre K Counts program and the Head Start state supplemental program and the STARS quality initiatives. So, you know, blending sort of this idea of quality, what does quality mean? What does it look like? How do we support families to access those high-quality early learning experiences if they're unable to?
00:19:25
Right. Through programs like Pre K accounts, through programs like CAAP and CCW. I feel like it was the perfect blending, if you will, of that experience. And so being able to influence policy, being able to really think about how we are responsive to all of our stakeholders, has allowed me to bring all of those different experiences into one place. And I think that because I have those different perspectives, I'm really able to look at things from a systems lens and think through, you know, how would this impact a provider at a for-profit?
00:20:01
How would this impact a provider who's trying to manage maybe a federal Head Start grant, a state Head Start grant, Pre K Counts. How does this affect a family who is trying to get a job and really can't afford the rates of a private center? And so they need the subsidized program? What are the expectations there? What does that look like?
00:20:22
Because I have heard or been in the shoes of those very same stakeholders. Right. And so I think that that is so valuable to be able to think back and sort of put all of those different glasses on and view things from those different lenses. I think that's critically important to my role and something that I really, you know, hold true to my heart and the way that I carry forth my work well. And I think it's why when you shared that you were moving over into this work, I was so happy to see that you were the person that was selected because I think to your point, you know, you.
00:20:57
You have experienced it, you do understand it. And so when folks that are sitting in positions, you know, like yours, and they don't. We've talked about this on a previous, previous episode with Megan Shreve, one of our agency executive directors. Right. There's a.
00:21:12
When there are gaps in knowledge and experience, it. It creates a ripple effect for those who are doing the work. And so having that perspective is so important. So I applaud DHS for really, you know, ultimately selecting you and now you sitting in that job. I mean, I think it's really.
00:21:27
I think it's really awesome that you're the person that's. That's doing that work. Yeah. I just want to echo that really quickly, Luisa, because my goodness. Well done, Pennsylvania.
00:21:34
You put the right person in the seat because you're going from policy to par. To parent. You understand the whole, the whole ecosystem of it, the whole ecosystem. And you would only have that, that, that reflection or that experience having gone through, you know, CPC and ultimately taking it back to social work and getting your bachelor's. And so, you know, I have a curious question here.
00:21:57
Is like, why social work? What led you to get to where you are today? What was the driving factor? Was it an experience, a story? You.
00:22:07
Maybe you saw something and you're like, no, I can fix this. What was it? Yeah. And, you know, when you're in college, you're just like, what am I going to do? Right.
00:22:15
I mean, I wanted to be a forest ranger, so. I mean, I wanted to be a pop star. So you look like one. Of course you did. Yes, it tracks, right?
00:22:26
And maybe I still do. Not a pop star, but like a cool, funky, soul sister, soul singer. I'm down. I'm down to that. I'll join the band.
00:22:33
Yeah, let's do it. So, you know, I think I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do, but I knew intrinsically that I wanted to do something that would make a difference, right. Be it one person, be it a bunch of people, right? Like, I just wanted to do something that had an impact. I wanted to leave an imprint in some way, shape or form.
00:22:55
And so. But I wasn't sure what that looked like, right. So I thought about being a teacher. I thought about doing advertising, which I felt like just. Even though I like that media side, it just didn't fit because I could never, like, conceptualize it and how it would help people.
00:23:11
And then I was like, oh, duh, nonprofit marketing. Missed an opportunity there. But anyway, and I landed on social work because I felt that social work offered something so unique. It offered the opportunity to work on so many different levels, right? Like you can do really macro-level social work, you can do micro-level social work.
00:23:33
And I've done all of it. And that was really appealing to me. The opportunity that I could sit one-on-one with somebody, which, you know, if we go back to that first job with Community Progress Counsel, that's what it was, that one-on-one coaching. Tell me what your goals are, what resources do you need, how can I support you? What are some barriers?
00:23:52
That sort of level, then you can go up to that macro level, that macro lens. And so that was really appealing to me that there was an opportunity to sort of step up and really gain a really good foundation of the work and what it means before you would go to a different level, and then eventually leading to policy, and that kind of work. So that was very appealing to me. And then my master's degree is in community leadership. And I thought I told you I was thinking about going for my MSW.
00:24:23
And I ended up shifting gears a little bit because while I had that foundation in social work, I thought, how else can I give back? What else can I do? And that community leadership lens really allowed for a more broad perspective of the work and a broad perspective of how I could continue to make an impact in the community that I serve and, you know, beyond. So that's sort of what led, led me to there. You know, I'm not a pop star obviously, but I think I went the right direction.
00:24:57
You're a rock star in what you do, so that's fantastic. And by the way, I would say that teaching and marketing all applies to the things that you're doing now. You get people to buy into the programs at CPC. You know, you had to advertise what was out there and you're taught so, you know, and you look like a pop star. So put all three together and that's you.
00:25:17
Yeah, I agree. And interestingly enough, you know, social work and early learning, I think also have so many parallels, right? And I think that that is, it's so related to one another one because, and I say this often, so if folks know me, they'll laugh a little bit. Like a child doesn't exist on his own island. Right?
00:25:35
A child is a part of a system. It's a part of a family. It's a part whatever that family looks like. However, that family is defined. There is a community of folks around that child.
00:25:46
And so that is the support and the foundation that that child has. And there's lots of folks and lots of systems feeding into that community or to that family. But understanding that and having a social work perspective and thinking about sort of graphing that out, it's there, right? And so I think that that perspective in the early learning space is also really beneficial because, you know, we learn in our coursework, you know, all about sort of the development of humans and how we interact in psychology. And I think it all sort of overlaps so nicely.
00:26:20
So I agree that some of those tenets that I was trying to figure out, you know, where do I want to go, where do I want to be, sort of landed themselves very nicely for me. So, you know, just follow your journey, Tr. Trust it. You'll get there. Well, and I think the last thing that I'll share about, you know, relevant to what you just said, and I talk about this a lot when I talk about perceptions of, of people and how we create those perceptions.
00:26:42
But. And we've talked about this, Luisa. As a matter of fact, I think when we did a presentation together at CAAP, about 25% of the human brain, right, is formed by the time we're born. So all of the things that happen to us in utero, 25%, right. A quarter of the way that we think is formed before we even come out into the world.
00:26:58
And then 75% by the time we're three years old. And so that's really significant. People don't understand that. And so then, right. In early childhood, in particular, the way that, in particular intervention processes and services, that, the way in which we try to help those circuits, right, Those, those predefined things that are already established, how we help to manifest them, to create different patterns of thinking or impact the trauma that, that we don't even know that we've received at that age is so important then in helping a child thrive.
00:27:32
And so for me, and in all the things that I do, particularly because of my kiddo and some of the services that he has, it's just been so imperative to helping him overcome some of those early challenges in life and something I know that you're passionate about and certainly I'm passionate about as well, but I think it's important for people to understand because so few people do. Yeah. And I think it's a misconception, right, like that focusing on children under 5 is babysitting, right. It's not right when you see the impact that a high-quality program, a high-quality caretaker can have on that child. And you see, I mean, it's all in the data, right.
00:28:15
We were just talking about that qualitative versus quantitative. But when you can tell those stories and how that has impacted or affected a child, it goes so, so much further. And so I think just continuing to lift up those stories about the importance of early learning is crucial. And I appreciate you, Beck, sharing that and sharing that perspective and continuing to provide that information because it's a continuum, right? Like we are adults now, but we were children once.
00:28:39
And so those little human beings are not just magically going to change those little human beings, we need to really feed into and give a really solid foundation for them to grow into higher success and help our society in the future. Absolutely. A million percent over. And I'm sorry, if you can hear my dogs barking, it's clearly something's happening outside. If you can't hear them, awesome, then that's great too.
00:29:02
They have clearly something that they want to share. There is something they're passionate about. They are also passionate about early learning. Yes, they are, a million percent. And I think, you know, the last thing that I will say about this is a soapbox that I, you know, just could jump up and down on all the time.
00:29:15
I know that we're sort of over our time and sort of our episode, but I think, you know, the way that I look at it is, you know, my kiddo had a speech delay and so it was only through the services that he received that he was able to have access to someone who helped us to learn sign language. And then suddenly when he was able to express himself, the frustration that he was feeling and how that manifested in terms of just anger at a really early age, you know, even as a three-year-old. Right. Not being able to express yourself, how vital that was then to helping him thrive in the classroom and at home, was so impactful to us. So I know I've experienced it firsthand for sure.
00:29:52
But so before we, before we go, then if I can just ask one final question of you, and I think this is something that we've talked about when you were at CPC and something I know that we're both passionate about in terms of representation, particularly in positions of power. And so I think again, going back to the kind of excitement that I know I felt for you when you were selected for this role, your identity. Right. And who you are as a person, I was also excited to see you specifically. Right.
00:30:28
As a Latina woman sitting in this position. And so I want to ask you, you know, your perspective, advice for folks who maybe have an identity like mine, like yours, that what's important and. Or advice that you would give.
00:30:50
And I think. Right. I don't know anything in particular that you want to share about that, if you don't mind me asking. I hope it's okay. Yeah, I really appreciate the question.
00:31:02
You know, I feel really honored and to be able to be in the position that I'm in and the positions that I've had, because I think it is less frequent, right, to see someone who represents a different population sitting in a position of power. And I think it's only beneficial because, again, as we talked about earlier, sort of thinking about all the perspectives that we offer, there's also another layer, right? There's added perspectives, right. And it can be challenging, is what I would say to folks, right? It can be challenging to sort of think of all of the layers of identity that you might have, right?
00:31:45
So I'm a mom, I'm a working professional. I'm a Latina, I'm an immigrant, like all of the things, right. I think that sometimes all of those identities can sort of weigh on us, right? And we might take those things positively and push through, but we might also allow them to hold us back. And so what I would say, you know, to someone, as you ask, is don't let that hold you back.
00:32:12
Right? Don't let yourself be the thing that gets in the way of moving forward. Take the opportunity, take a leap. If it doesn't work out, it just wasn't your time. And it allows you to further develop those skills.
00:32:29
And if it does work out and you sort of sit there and question whether you're in the right place or have imposter syndrome, which happens often with folks who have all of those layers. Right. Don't allow that to pull you back. I think that's crucially important. And I think connecting to a network, connecting to someone or a few individuals who really support you and who are advocates for you and are leading you, like leading you right along, I think is crucial.
00:33:00
Like create that network, whatever that network looks like for you, be it your family, be it your friends, be it, you know, folks at work, whoever that network is for you, make sure that they're there for you. They have your back, but you need to also have your back. And you need to be able to really celebrate yourself, advocate for yourself and say, you know, you can do this. And again, if it doesn't work out, it just wasn't meant to be. Continue pushing forward, learn more, meet more people, connect.
00:33:29
I think that that's critically important and I want to make sure that folks hear that right, because I think oftentimes we are our own barriers. And so I'm very honored and lucky to have a great network of friends, a very supportive partner who handles all things at home so that I can continue on my journey. And so I think that that is super critically important. And so find your folk. Well, and I think to that same, to that same end, find leaders who are willing to invest in you and make sure that right there, my good friend Hattie McCarter, who is - Lover her! amazing human, right, was happy to make the connection over for you all to meet.
00:34:12
But she tells a story about like how literally a leader at a table pulled the chair out for her and said, no I want you to sit next to me at this table, table because you should be, you don't, you shouldn't be sitting over there on the sidelines. You know, this work, right? You should sit at the table. And I think in, when we have leadership privilege, management privilege, we have to remember that it's our job to help grow other leaders and be thoughtful about, right? Pulling the chair out and telling people like, no, come sit next to me.
00:34:45
Yep, yep. And it's not a threat, right? And I think that's a misconception. It's not a threat. Like you're only building somebody to be better, how that shouldn't ever threaten you, right?
00:34:56
A million percent. And so I, I think that's, I love what you just said there. I think agree a bazillion percent. And I think that finding those people who you want to work for, that right. Are willing to do that for you is so, so important.
00:35:10
And remember, you know, my just advice to any leader who is listening is to be very thoughtful about pulling the chair out and also saying, come sit next to me. Because for those of us who have deep imposter syndrome, me included, we've talked about this. Heather, we talked about this with, with Megan. We've talked about this with other, other guests on the podcast. I'm not, I wasn't, I'm not, I'm still not always comfortable just sitting at the table.
00:35:34
And I've been sitting in executive leadership roles for the last, you know, 10 plus years. And it's just because of past trauma, because of my lived experience, who I am, you know, different things. And so it's very, very important that we try to help people feel comfortable and invite them and give them the space to. To be who they are. And I think fail safely sometimes also.
00:35:56
Absolutely. Yeah. That last part is so critical. Yeah. Yeah.
00:36:00
Something I like to say to folks that are coming to me with big dreams is I say. I look them right in the eyes and I say, why not you? Yeah, why not you? Yeah, you've said it to me, Heather. Yeah.
00:36:10
See, that's what I'm talking about. We've had this conversation before. I think you said that to me, Beck, about a certain job. I. I don't.
00:36:17
I don't. I think I may have. I think I may have stolen your thunder a little bit, Heather. No, no, there's no stealing. We're empowering and lifting each other up here.
00:36:24
It's yours to take. Yeah. Yeah. Why not? And I think that's a really good connection.
00:36:29
Right. Like, I think that the fact that we continue to build those, it sort of. It makes it go downstream. Right. I'm a visual person, so I'm, like, literally drawing in the air for you guys.
00:36:40
But, like, this person influences these two, who then influence these two. And, like, just think about the network of people that you have that feel really empowered and that are here to make a really great difference in our community and think about where our society can be if we just continue to harbor that. Yes. And connect powerful people. Like, there's nothing I love more than being like, you know what?
00:37:00
You just. I don't know what it is about you, but. But you need to know this person because you're going to do great things, yet I don't know what it is right now, but the universe is telling me, you need to know each other. There's something. There's something really special.
00:37:11
And then when you see those people go and do something really amazing, it's just. It gives me great joy. So I could talk about this all day, though. Me, too. Yeah.
00:37:22
So I just want to say again, really appreciate you coming on to be our guest today. Love the stories that you've shared. Love some of the insight that you've shared, you know? Thank you. Love you.
00:37:34
I honestly don't even know what I say. I blacked out, so it was phenomenal. Look, I do that on stage. I do that on stage all the time. I'm like, why is anyone listening to me?
00:37:42
I don't know what I'm saying. Oh, for sure. People are listening. So to our listeners, thank you for listening. I don't know what any of us have said, but we've appreciate you.
00:37:50
Appreciated you tuning into this special episode. If folks want to connect with Luisa about the work that she is doing, please reach out to info@thecaap.org and we will make sure to connect you to Luisa directly. Heather, thank you for being my fearless co-host. Always a pleasure. Thank you so much.
00:38:09
Thank you so much. Luisa. Thank you for having me. Thank you to all of our listeners and stay tuned for the next episode of the Thinking CAAP.
00:38:19
Thank you for being a part of this episode of the Thinking CAAP. Check the show notes for resources and links to other episodes, and don't forget to subscribe and follow to be notified when new episodes are released. If you have any Community Action questions you'd like Beck or one of our local experts to answer in a future episode, please email your questions about Community Action to info@thecaap.org, Thinking CAAP.