Voices From the Field: Interview with Kara Georgi

Parent Leadership

Kara Georgi

Kara Georgi is a parent to two children in New York and is a Member of the Children’s Trust Fund Alliance Birth Parent National Network. She is an Alliance Certified Trainer for the Bringing the Protective Factors Framework to Life in Your Work.


What do you remember most about your experiences with early intervention?

Early Intervention was a game changer for me and my family. It was where I got the help and support I needed most for helping my child with some of the challenges we were facing. The best part is we went from being strangers to a family team to working to build on strengths and skills for long term success for not only for my child, but for us as parents too.

What skills did you gain during the early years that influence you currently?

The top skill I learned was the importance of my voice as a parent. I learned it was important to not only understand my child’s milestones and how to support them, but also to understand the system that supported our early intervention services. It then helped me to better advocate when questions or needs arose, and also helped me to learn the importance of trust and relationship building within the greater community that we live and work in.

Is there anything you would like to share with other families about your experiences?

I would want other families to know that asking for help is super hard, but the reward on the other side is something far greater than you can imagine. You will find help and sometimes it will be the things you never thought of, or thought would help. You will find support and love and break down that sense of feeling like you are on an island. Most importantly you will find hope because of the relationships you will be building and making, and you will one day look back just as I am now and feel a sense of gratitude for the individuals that touched you and your child’s lives in such a special and unique way.

What would you like the professionals who worked with you during the early years to know?

I would want my team to know that thank you will never be enough for all the time, love, care, and support they showed our family. They each gave me different pieces of wisdom and hope and taught me not only about my child but myself. As a result, I now pass that on to other families in both my professional and personal life. My passion for helping families is rooted in all they poured into my family, and this is my way of paying it forward. I would encourage them to stay true to their hearts in their work with families, and to join me in celebrating National Parent Leadership Month in February. They can explore all the resources at https://ctfalliance.org/partnering-with-parents/parent-voice/.


Kara has incorporated the protective factors training into her home school district work with the PTA and into a schoolwide Community Café with staff and students and café nights for families. Currently, Kara is looking at ways she can bring the training to her local police department and doing more with the Office of Mental Health. She is passionate about the protective factors and working in a strengths-based way. She truly feels it is essential to see the value of the work in the everyday moments of life as we all work together for strong communities.


Blog articles provide insights on the activities of schools, programs, grantees, and other education stakeholders to promote continuing discussion of educational innovation and reform. Articles do not endorse any educational product, service, curriculum or pedagogy.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *