Educators on Connecting Families to Food, Shelter, Immigration, and Social Services

One parent needs help finding food. Another is looking for housing assistance. A family has questions about immigration services or mental health support. While educators may not have all the answers, they're often the first people families turn to for help. 

That's because early childhood educators do far more than teach. They build trusted relationships with families, connect them to community resources, and help them navigate complex systems so children can thrive. 

Between Power and the People 

In the latest episode of "Small Talk: Big Ideas About Little Learners" NAEYC’s Chief Early Learning Quality and Research Officer Alissa Mwenelupembe talks with Jerlean “Jerri” Daniel, a former Governing Board president and NAEYC executive director, and Rahshita Lowe-Watson, 2025 Teacher of the Year finalist and kindergarten teacher from Washington, DC. As three experienced professionals in early learning, they shared their stories about helping children and families connect with vital community services.  

“Early childhood educators are usually described as teachers, and we are, but so much of what we actually do isn’t teaching, it’s navigating systems,” Alissa said. “Helping a family access subsidies. Figuring out who to call when a child’s housing situation changes. Holding what we know about a family’s circumstances while also representing -- to them--a system that wasn't designed with them in mind.” 

From Social Worker to Early Childhood Education Professional  

Jerri can attest to that. She began her career as a caseworker in Pittsburgh, PA,  where she saw firsthand how difficult it could be for families to navigate under-resourced social service systems. The experience ultimately led her to early childhood education, where she  has spent decades helping families access support and advocate for their children. 

Throughout her career, she has often helped immigrant families navigate legal requirements, language barriers, and cultural differences that impact their children in early learning settings. Working closely with families and collaborating with professionals who speak their native language is a huge help in understanding the challenges families are facing and helping them find solutions. 

On the Front Lines With Families 

Rahshita said she and her fellow kindergarten teachers would like to spend more time teaching reading, writing, and social skills. But they often find themselves on the front lines, answering parents’ questions and helping them understand pressing issues outside of the school system. 

“Most of our time is spent on providing what I consider basic needs: food, shelter, social support, whether that’s a family who have high resources or a family who comes from a lower economic status, they're asking me the same thing: ‘Do you know who I can talk to regarding this?’ ... And so, who does that family member see first? It’s that teacher, practitioner, that educator. And so that's a lot of weight to carry.” 

She leans on relationships built over time with multiple community partners ready to help. “The world around us is built on relationships. It’s knowing what support systems are in our neighborhood, word of mouth, that has been helpful as far as getting connected and connecting families with those resources.”  

Understanding the Why Behind Behavior 

The conversation also explored how challenges families face outside the classroom can affect children's behavior, learning, and well-being. In a previous role as a child care center director, Jerri said, her center often became a lifeboat for a child who had been removed from other programs for behavioral or other issues. She would invite parents in for a conversation and “if they were receptive, if they hadn’t given up on their child, then I wasn’t going to give up on them.” Rather than focusing on previous challenges, she wanted teachers to get to know each child on their own terms. When the teacher later learned more information, she said, they would say, “You’re kidding! Him? He’s the sweetest thing!” 

As a classroom teacher, Rahshita said, she would sometimes appreciate having more information on a child’s circumstances or their previous learning experiences.  “But I definitely see how that may have caused some type of bias,” she said, even before the child had a chance to settle in.  

Quality Centers With Appropriate Resources Can Help

Alissa noted that balancing what information to share about a child is often complicated. As director of a program earlier in her career, she often had additional context that could help teachers problem-solve when challenges arose while also avoiding assumptions about a child before they enter the program. “I also would always think about, is this even going to be a problem here? Because, you know, oftentimes the programs that these children were being kicked out of weren’t as high quality as our center. They didn’t have the resources that our center did.” 

All three agreed that type of collaboration can make all the difference. Whether partnering with colleagues, connecting families to community services, or coordinating with therapists, pediatricians, and other professionals, educators often serve as a bridge between families and the support systems that help children thrive. 

Throughout the conversation, the speakers emphasized that while these responsibilities are an important part of supporting children and families, they can also place significant demands on educators. Strong community partnerships, adequate staffing, and investments in high-quality early learning programs help ensure educators secure the support they need to connect families with resources and respond to children's needs. 

Listen to the Full Conversation

Hear more from Alissa, Jerri, and Rahshita as they discuss the relationships, partnerships, and community connections that are vital to helping children and families. 

Listen to the Episode