Angel in the Nursery

Yadira Urena

By Susan Chinitz

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Yadira counts among her most meaningful accomplishments at South Bronx Early Head Start, the Early Literacy Initiative she cultivated, which has provided access to children’s books for families and encourages regular reading, even to the smallest of babies.  During monthly reading events at the Center, she has noted not only the development of the building blocks for early literacy, but also the development of deeper attachments between parents and their infants.   If she could recommend one change to Early Head Start as a national program, it would be a strong focus on salary parity.  In her experience, current salary scales do not match the credentials required for this work and that meet the high standards that Head Start promotes.   In a short time, Yadira will transition to a new role, so the NYZTT Network thought it important to pay tribute to this local angel who has done so much for families of infants and toddlers in the Bronx.