ABCD Head Start salutes John Williams for his role in encouraging fathers to become more engaged in the lives of their children.

 As the oldest of ten children, John learned early in life that he had a responsibility to help those most in need, a sense of duty that has stayed with him throughout his life. 

John first became involved with ABCD Head Start as a grandparent helping to raise a grandson. He distinguished himself as a highly motivated advocate of the South Side Head Start program.   

John currently serves as chairperson of the Citywide Head Start Parent Policy Council, working in partnership with Head Start management to make sure that the needs of children and their families are met by the program.  He volunteers on the administration, personnel and executive committees.  For the past six months, John has been representing parents of the ABCD program at the Massachusetts Head Start Association meetings.  

But it is his important work expanding Head Start’s “Good Guys” program that has set John apart from the rest.  Serving as a role model, John demonstrates the importance of a man’s role in the healthy development of a child.  He was acknowledged by the National Head Start Association for his efforts in recruiting men into leadership positions on the Policy Council and has been actively promoting the “Read to Your Child” Campaign. 

“It is clear that the kind of parental involvement that he encourages makes all the difference for parents and children in Head Start and society as a whole,” said Sharon Scott-Chandler, ABCD Vice President, Head Start and Children’s Services.