What’s new with ECCHO-Latino? – Eye On Early Childhood

When Paula Andrea Echeverri Durango and Harold Blanco, alumni of our Advocacy Network, formed ECCHO-Latino in February of 2024, they were creating a WhatsApp group for Spanish-speaking early educators so that they could share ideas, resources, and support. 

Today, the ECCHO-Latino community has more than 200 members, and it is becoming a nonprofit organization. 

Paula and Harold, early educators who are married to each other, own Paula’s Barn, a family child care program in Springfield. They also host The 9:30 Call en español. And they recently shared the story of ECCHO Latino on The 9:30 Call. 

“We are just dreamers and passionate about education,” Paula says in the video about the couple’s commitment to children, families, early educators, and working for positive change..

And being a support network for early educators, Harold explains, is a way “to contribute to the holistic development of children.”

In addition to building community, ECCHO-Latino members have been actively involved in training programs and in advocacy efforts, sharing their perspectives on early education and care and calling for greater language access for early educators across the state. 

Stay tuned, there’s more to come. 

Follow ECCHO-Latino on its Instagram page or its TikTok account. A web page is being developed. And in the fall, The 9:30 Call en español will go from meeting once a month to meeting twice a month. 

All these efforts build on Paula and Harold’s inspiring conviction that every voice should be heard—and that advocates can make sure this happens.