It’s time for birthday “cake” to celebrate 3-year-old Ryan’s recent birthday.

San Juana is fascinated by child development, working to completely overhaul her home to be a creative space for developing minds – replete with dramatic play areas, cozy corners for reading books, and a sandbox that doubles as a dinosaur excavation site. She attends monthly Allies trainings on everything from trauma-informed care and infant mental health to dealing with challenging behaviors and potty training issues – taking advantage of Allies’ deep network of resources to expand the supports she can offer to her families.

She’s a tireless advocate for children and families, supporting them with any challenge they face. When she noticed one of the girls in her class was struggling to speak, San Juana connected her with Allies’ Disabilities Manager to enroll in speech therapy. When one of her families was in a rental dispute with their landlord and had to move into an unfurnished garage, she worked with Cynthia to secure furniture and a refrigerator so the family could sleep in a warm bed and store fresh, healthy foods. She routinely refers her families to Allies’ Prevention & Aftercare program for case management, and is a regular at Allies’ social events to help plug her families into the supportive community that they need.