Seattle's Child

Your guide to a kid-friendly city

Unsung Hero: Imelda Hernandez, hardworking parent and amazing advocate

 

Seattle's Child is proud to once again sponsor the Unsung Heroes being honored in February by the Department of Children, Youth and Families Strengthening Families Washington. 

Every day this month we'll present an Unsung Hero.

 Nominations are accepted from around the state and include biological parents, grandparents, foster and adoptive parents. Some volunteer at local schools; some have started nonprofit organizations; some mentor others in their communities. All honorees are true heroes: outstanding caregivers doing important work on behalf of children. 

 

 Imelda Hernandez, Yakima

 

I am nominating Imelda because she has been an amazing advocate for not only her children, but also other children with disabilities.

Her son, who has autism and is nonverbal, experienced abuse at one of the developmental preschools in our town. When confronted with these allegations, the school district chose not to do anything about it. Imelda didn't stop there. She went to the Washington State Capitol to present to the legislators about the lack of accountability for schools and school staff that abuse special-education students. More recently, she attended a meeting with the new superintendent of Yakima School District, and she was able to advocate more for special-education student. Imelda doesn't let the fact that she only speaks Spanish affect the hard work she does.

Imelda is also active in the Parent to Parent organization at Children's Village. She has completed trainings that are available through this organization, and has become a mentor for other parents going through tough moments in their lives. She also is the hardest-working parent that I have worked with. Throughout all of the different therapy sessions, she is constantly making notes and researching how she can implement the strategies to help her kids. She is absolutely deserving of any special acknowledgement that you could give her.

 

Nominator:  Douglas Periman

More Unsung Heroes:

Aaron Morningred: An inspiration as a parent and as a person

Heather Hamlin: A model of grace even when parenting is tough

Momma Shaelee lives her values, embraces parenting wholeheartedly

 

 

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