February is Parent Recognition Month. Strengthening Families Washington, of the Department of Early Learning for Washington State, believes there is no better way to recognize a parent, grandparent, foster or adoptive parent than by acknowledging the numerous and impressive things they do to strengthen their family and those around them in their community.
Seattle’s Child is proud to sponsor the Washington Unsung Hero Awards, recognizing our everyday heroes and honoring the important role caregivers play in children’s lives. There are 28 nominees for the 28 days of February, and Seattle’s Child will highlight each and every one.
Congratulations to the Unsung Hero for February 18
Elisa Ye – Seattle
Elisa Ye puts her love into her actions.
As an individual:
* After Elise immigrated to the U.S., she did extremely well to learn English up to ESL Level 5 (advanced) so she could get a better paying job in an English-speaking environment to provide for her family.
* She is a very strong advocate for her daughter, Keen, who has autism, so that Keen could be transferred from a more restrictive class to a less restrictive class for her learning needs.
* Elise is very open to receive services for her family. She seeks help from different service providers for different needs.
* She attends and is very receptive to workshops and training to strengthen her parenting knowledge and skills as well as her personal growth and development.
In her relationships:
* Elise develops a strong bond with her children through pre-bedtime games and routine reading. She always appreciates her children's positive behaviors and characters. She provides a trusting and loving environment for her children to express their true feelings. She is very responsive to affirm their feelings. With her emotional support and clear guidance, Keen is encouraged to communicate with others and express her emotion in constructive ways.
* With her non-judgmental and strong-willed character, Elise helped her parent-in-laws change their negative perceptions to positive perceptions about Keen, rebuilding better grandparent-granddaughter relationships.
* Elise is a good role model for her children, encouraging them to persevere, face challenges and overcome difficulties with her optimistic, persistent and easy-going character.
In the community:
* Elise is very proactive to attend meetings and engage with her children’s teachers, counselors and community-based organizations to pursue the best benefits for the needs of her family and the Chinese community.
Nominator: Peggy Kwok
Singing the Praises of Our Unsung Heroes
Read about all of the wonderful, everyday heroes who have won Washington Unsung Hero Awards: seattleschild.com/2015-Unsung-Heroes.
