Bill Castellanos, of Cambria, and Marilyn Leonard, of Los Osos, have together provided more than 45 years of dedicated service to Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County. This month, the California Head Start Association conferred Castellanos with the Administrator of the Year Award and Leonard with the Program Services Staff of the Year Award.

The California Head Start Association is a group of Head Start Directors, Head Start Staff and most importantly parents, who represent the Association as advocates for the Head Start/Early Head Start program at the State level.

Castellanos began his career with Community Action Partnership in the late 1970’s, as the Head Start Director for San Luis Obispo County. Prior to this position, he had been a Director for the City of Los Angeles responsible for developing child care centers in low-income target areas.

Castellanos quickly advanced with Community Action Partnership and was soon promoted to Division Director. He successfully implemented the Head Start/Early Head Start program in this county, and expanded the program to the counties of San Diego, Orange County, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, and Fresno.

Head Start/Early Head Start is a federally funded child development program for very low-income young children and their families. Since its inception in 1965, more than 20 million children and families nationally have benefited from Head Start's services. In California, this number is estimated to be in excess of 1,000,000 children and their families. The target population for Head Start/Early Head Start is children between the ages of 0-5 and pregnant women from families living below the federal poverty line. Head Start/Early Head Start programs are funded by the Federal Department of Health and Human Services through local community agencies such as Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County.

Regarding the award, Castellanos says “it’s nice to be recognized but it feels funny!” He says he has associated himself with good and competent people, “a staff with passion and real dedication to their work.”

As for Leonard, she began her work with Community Action Partnership in the late 1990’s as a community educator, informing parents about the prevention of early sexual involvement for young teenagers. While working with Community Action Partnership, in the mental health division of the Head Start/Early Head Start program, she became a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

Head Start/Early Head Start is made up of seven distinct components: education, health, nutrition, mental health, disabilities, eligibility and social services for parents. In order for the Head Start/Early Start program to maintain its federal funding it must meet countless criteria which promote strong collaboration between staff and parents, including: discussing appropriate parental responses to child behavior, how to strengthen a nurturing environment in the home, securing services from mental health professionals and specific parent education on mental health.

Leonard’s job is to oversee and ensure that all Child, Youth and Family Services being offered by Community Action Partnership meet federal standards. In fact, Leonard wrote the first policies and procedures handbook, still being used today, which provides guidelines for all staff members on how to meet these federal standards.

Each and every center created by Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County is given a check-up by Leonard and her team of specialists – educators, nutritionists and therapists- by conference call approximately once per month and by on-site visits every year. Not only do they check on the manner in which each center is operating, but they also discuss individual cases. Leonard still occasionally gets the chance to work with families; and her favorite activity remains sitting on the floor with children to illustrate direct-play-therapy.

Leonard underscores that all their programs focus on a prevention-wellness approach. She recalls an encounter she had with a young 4 year old girl who had been labeled as aggressive because she expressed herself by yelling and seemed to intrude in people’s personal space. However, the Head Start staff members realized this child was unable to see properly and was suffering from hearing loss; soon after being provided with glasses and a few sessions of play therapy, she began making friends and by the time she reached Kindergarten, she was no longer deemed a special needs child.

“Every child,” says Leonard, “no matter their ethnicity or socio-economic status, has an innate ability to grow and achieve. I love what I do! Every day I have the opportunity to work with families and make a difference, I really believe it.”

Leonard said she was astounded and humbled by the award. “There are so many dedicated and deserving people in the Head Start/Early Head Start program, it is a job you do with your heart.”

For more information about this press release please contact Judy Mahan, Community Action Partnership Communications Department, at (805)544-4355.

Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County is a non-profit agency that focuses on helping people and changing lives through serving nearly 40,000 persons across Central and Southern California. We are committed to eliminate poverty by empowering individuals and families to achieve economic self-sufficiency and self-determination through a comprehensive array of community-based programs.

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