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My name is Emma Chapman, and I live on Bainbridge Island. I moved to Washington in 2008 with my son's father.
My son was born in April 2009, and following the birth I was suffering from postpartum depression.
His father had just finished two tours in Iraq and was suffering from PTSD.
And after my son's birth something was wrong with him and he wasn't sleeping more than 30 minutes at a time.
One day his father snapped and it was no longer safe for me and Killian. So I was left homeless and jobless (I had just finished my undergraduate degree).
A friend from college allowed me to stay at her sister's house on her couch and her sister told me about Head Start and about KCR (Kitsap Community Resources)
And so I immediately reached out to Head Start. They helped me get into low income housing, and I soon found a job at a retirement home.
I was working as a server. Most importantly, the Early Head Start program started testing Killian,
and trying to figure out what was wrong with him. They referred him to the Hollyridge center in Kitsap County
and they found that he had four out of five developmental delays, and they soon figured out that he had a sensory integration disorder.
They also referred us to counseling to help us through some of the trauma we had been through.
Killian is now four years old and he's in a program on Bainbridge Island, a Head Start program there.
The program has allowed him to be in a nonrestrictive environment, which is very important for children with disabilities.
It's also preparing him for kindergarten.
So Head Start wasn't just great for Killian, it also helped me a lot.
My Head Start teacher really helped ground me, and she really helped me through a very difficult time.
Also the goal-setting of the Head Start program helped me move from working in the kitchen,
I was promoted within the company to be a housekeeper, then soon got a job at a law firm.
And then I was promoted within the law firm to be a legal assistant.
Head Start gave me and my family the opportunity to move forward in a very positive way and now I feel like I'm
able to give back to the community that once helped me.
Just in Washington 750 kids were cut this year for sequestration. KCR had to make a lot of cuts within our community.
They cut jobs within the Head Start program, they cut children, and they also reduced the school year by two weeks,
and I'm really worried about the next cuts, because we really tried to make the children not cut this year,
but next year I'm not sure there's much more room to not cut just kids. Thank you.
Sen. Murray: Thank you, and the reason that story is so important is that, first of all, Head Start gave
not only your child a chance but it gave you a chance and you're now working, which is great.
Emma: Well actually I just started law school.
Sen. Murray: Just started law school! Give her a round of applause.
Head Start was cut because of sequestration, the automatic cuts that went in place.
The budget negotiations going forward under the House budget cut Head Start even more dramatically.
So what it means is thousands of moms, dads, just like you would not have that opportunity to go to law school,
get a job, or make sure their kids have what they need.
I really appreciate your talking about that, because if we do not come up with a budget agreement, the second round
of sequestration will begin in January, which will be even more dramatic cuts to Head Start.
So for me one of the top priorities I have going into this budget negotiation is replacing sequestration with a responsible package.