“’We are in the third year of the pandemic,’ said Gabriela Tenorio, the coordinator of an early learning ambassador program at the parent advocacy group Community Organizing and Family Issues, or COFI. ‘Parents want their kids back out there, learning.’”

“Talibah Moore, a community organizer with COFI, said she and other advocates are excited about a site that gives parents, including pregnant women, more options and allows them to select more programs. COFI spearheads the long-standing early learning ambassador program to get the word out about such learning opportunities, particularly on the South and West sides.

About 20 parent ambassadors fanned out during the past two weeks to give families a heads-up about the start of the application season, stressing the importance of early learning for children’s brain development. Moore said though the program continued on throughout the pandemic, ambassadors encountered a lot of reluctance to enroll children in district preschools amid rampant COVID fears. But this spring, the mood seems to have shifted.

‘Parents are thrilled to apply again,’ she said. ‘This brings hope.’”

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