This year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Awardee is a compassionate and devoted Head Start leader and advocate. She exemplifies the spirit of the award. It can be easy to state what a person does, but it is not always easy to express the pure passion that someone demonstrates in their commitment to serving children and families.
Rachel DeSpain, Head Start Program Director at Tri-Counties Opportunity Council (TCOC) Head Start in Rock Falls, breathes passion into everything she does, simply because it is the right thing to do.
In the past few years, she has had tremendous personal adversity but continues forward with the Head Start mission. Though she has experienced overwhelming and challenging internal operations, she continues on with the Head Start mission.
As IDEC prepares to launch without clear Head Start involvement, Rachel is an ever-present fixture at the IDEC meetings, voicing concerns about the role of Head Start in this new agency.
Furthermore, she has championed DCFS reform to ensure a more efficient process for background checks and equitable protocols that align with Head Start Program Performance Standards.
Lastly, Rachel is an invaluable part of the IHSA Board of Directors and has been a force leading the Advocacy & Awareness Committee with conviction and compassion for Head Start children and families.
