Family Spotlight: Cindy Del Villar, Program Graduate

Meet program graduate and New York Parent Advisory Council (PAC) member Cindy Del Villar. The mother of three reflects on her time with Room to Grow:

Creative Noa showing off his self-portrait.

I have endured some pretty tough times in life, including homelessness and critical judgment, so joining Room to Grow was like nothing I had experienced before. Amanda Ferguson welcomed my family and me with open arms and a warm smile, and it immediately made us feel special, supported, and heard.

When I was 24 and my oldest child was just 6 months old, I found out that I was pregnant with my son Noah. Through NurseFamily Partnership, we were referred to Room to Grow and things really started to change for the better. During that same time, I was also opening my first fully licensed group family daycare. Life was both overwhelming and gratifying, to say the least.

We attended the sessions as a family, with our oldest, Caleb, in tow. He wasn’t an official part of the program like Noa, but Amanda included him in the sessions and shared strategies and ideas with my husband and me about Caleb and his development too.

One thing that really stood out is that Room to Grow isn’t just about the kids. Imagine having two children in diapers at the same time — less than a year apart in age. It put a strain on our marriage and Amanda offered my husband and me helpful exercises to better communicate and reconnect.

Since graduating more than four years ago, we refer families to the program every chance we get. I also joined PAC in 2019 because I believe in the mission and know that the program is very important.

As a family unit, we are excelling; we now have a 1-year-old daughter, Luna, and recently opened our second licensed family daycare in New York. We are proud of our time with Room to Grow and are hopeful that more families will be fulfilled as we have been.