Milestones drive local SEK-CAP director

As the mother of two young children, ages 2 and 3, Kristi Rodriguez is well aware of the challenges facing kids, and their parents.
But getting to see the milestones — first words, first steps, learning to learn — is a reward unmatched.
Rodriguez experiences milestones of several other youngsters in her role as site director and lead teacher at the Southeast Kansas Community Action Program (SEK-CAP) Family Development Center.
The center, which serves children from birth to 5 years old from largely impoverished families, has provided a career Rodriguez quickly has grown to love.
“It’s completely rewarding,” Rodriguez said. “Every day, there’s something new, and seeing kids get so excited as they learn something new makes my day.”
Rodriguez has reached a lofty milestone herself.
In May, She was named  SEK-CAP’s Teacher of the Year.
“Kristi enthusiastically meets the needs of the children, families and team members at her center every day,” SEK-CAP organizers announced in a press release. “She effectively uses her classroom for the opportunity to build positive relationships with anyone who walks through the doors and works within the community of Iola to build relationships that she thinks will enhance children’s learning.”
The Family Development Center serves children, oftentimes before they’re even born.
Mothers may enroll their children in the pre-natal stage, so that staffers can provide educational resources they can use during pregnancies. The mothers also are invited to visit the center at 524 Kennedy Dr. to become familiar with surroundings, because the center is open to the children as soon as they’re home from a hospital and cleared by doctors.
“With new moms, it can be hard to let go,” Rodriguez said.

THE PROGRAM is geared to serve mostly families below or near the poverty line, although parents of younger children — those in the 0-3 years age — must either have a job or be attending school.
SEK-CAP requires those children to be at the center six hours a day during their parents’ workday schedule.
Rodriguez encourages parental engagement time, so mothers and fathers spend time in the classroom.
The process is different for the youngsters ages 3-5. Those are geared with a preschool bent to better prepare the children for kindergarten.
The program’s other official name — Head Start — is an apt description, Rodriguez said.
While serving children is SEK-CAP’s primary thrust through its early education programs, reaching other family members is just as vital.
“With the family piece of what we do, we’re able to provide benefits to the children through education, but we also help set family goals. If we have a family who’s struggling to make ends meet, we can help them set reasonable steps to meet that goal. If we have a family that’s struggling in and out of jail, we work with them to prevent that from happening, too,” she said.

RODRIGUEZ’S ascendance through the SEK-CAP ranks has been rapid.
She formerly taught at elementary schools in Emporia and Topeka before moving to Allen County, where she worked as a corrections officer at Allen County Jail.
Motherhood intervened, and Rodriguez soon decided another career would suit a young mother better.
“There was an ad in the paper, and I thought, ‘Why not try SEK-CAP?’” she said.
She started at SEK-CAP as an assistant teacher for the birth-to-3 years group, then as head teacher for a year for the same age group.
This year was her first as site director and lead teacher in Iola.
Rodriguez is quick to praise her colleagues, whom she calls “compassionate and professional.”
“It’s definitely not a one-man show,” she said. “Everybody puts their heart into it every day. Children aren’t always the easiest to work with, but if you have the right attitude, it’s pretty fun.
“That’s something else SEK-CAP has given me,” she continued. “I’ve learned so much, not just on a professional level, but it’s made me a better mom to my own children as well.”
Rodriguez’s husband, Danny, is an Iola police officer.
She occasionally thinks back to her days as a jailer.
“I enjoyed being a corrections officer and I do miss it, but I think I found my niche here,” she said. “I can’t see myself ever giving up this position.”