Leading with a Culturally Responsive Approach to COVID-19
Head Start BOLD Game Changer: Willing Chin-Ma
In early spring, NHSA named 14 individuals as 2020 BOLD Prize winners in recognition of their extraordinary leadership in response to the unique challenges they encountered in 2020… Over the course of this summer, NHSA is sharing insights from each BOLD Prize Winner about leading through unprecedented times and overcoming uncertainty and adversity to support both staff and the children and families Head Start serves.
Employing a holistic, culturally responsive approach to supporting families with forward-looking leadership focused on compassion and socio-emotional wellness makes Willing Chin-Ma a 2020 BOLD Game Changer.
Willing Chin-Ma is the Managing Director for Early Head Start and Head Start at Grand Street Settlement in New York City, where she has worked since 1998. Grand Street Settlement supports more than 850 children and families each year, many of whom are immigrants to the United States and benefit from their high-quality multilingual services in Spanish and Chinese.
When COVID-19 hit, Willing and her team quickly pivoted to remote services, raising additional funds and working with community partners to get personal protective equipment and nutritious food to families, and working closely with parents to engage with their children on educational activities. As grocery store shelves were bare, Grant Street also made food available for staff. Willing also planned ahead, keeping their centers clean and in good physical condition so that as soon as they were able, they could smoothly transition back to in-person services.
On top of meeting families’ physical needs, Willing offered emotional support to Grand Street Settlement’s many Chinese families who were experiencing an increase in hateful rhetoric and violence towards Asian Americans because of COVID-19. Willing and Grand Street also supported the mental health of their staff with weekly individual counseling sessions with their mental health consultant.
In her own words:
“I provided strong leadership during [the] pandemic and transitioned all our Early Head Start and Head Start programs to remote learning. I gave clear directions on how to operate our programs and continued to measure the outcomes of the services for the families. There were no gaps in services and we engaged every family and child with respect and compassion… For 2021, my hope is to continue to support the families with health, education, and guidance to help their children grow and reduce fear and trauma.”
Learn more about the 2020 BOLD Leadership Prize and explore profiles of the BOLD leaders in your community on our website.
