Meet Anissa Parra-Grooms, Kansas City resident and loving mother of two and a half year old Elvira! She is a powerful advocate for ECE and tries to find any way she can use her story to advocate for her daughter and our children’s future. Read our Q&A with Anissa below.
Why did you become an advocate for early childhood education?
When doing research in where our daughter should go for care when I returned to work after maternity leave, early childhood education was a must. But then we quickly found out that many establishments have a premium price. In digging into it further, I grew frustrated on the lack of affordable options. Then the realization, if I had become so frustrated, what do families do if they do not have the time and resources with the lack of availability? In that frustration, an early childhood education advocate was born.
Why do you think it’s important to be an advocate as a parent?
We are living and breathing this crucial time in our child’s life. What positive changes we can make today will help families of the future.
Why should Missouri invest more in early care and education?
The first five years of a child’s life are crucial to their learning and later growth and developments. Investing today will help our children grow into well-rounded and balanced adults making a positive impact in our state.
In one sentence, what does the ideal early childcare and education systems look like for families in Missouri?
Plentiful affordable options that families can have the confidence that their children are getting safe and quality education.
What else would you like to share?
While being an avid adventure seeker, which includes exploring Antarctica, marathon on the Great Wall of China, and swimming with sharks, nothing beats the adventure of being the mother of Elvira Leandra Grooms, and why I created the hashtag, #AnythingForElviras.