Fathers at the Heart of Family Wellness and Success.

Father involvement plays a vital role in strengthening parent, family, and community partnerships. At the Hidalgo County Head Start Program, we are committed to empowering fathers as advocates, lifelong educators, and their children’s first teachers. Our team continues to offer meaningful resources that support fathers’ strengths, interests, and needs, encouraging active participation and enriching the Head Start community.
A highlight of this event was the presence of distinguished guests who helped make the day especially impactful. Precinct IV Commissioner Ellie Torres joined us and delivered a message on the importance of the conference and the essential role fathers play in early childhood development.
We were also honored to welcome keynote speaker Fernando Castillo, Donna ISD School Board Member, who shared an inspiring message centered on leadership, engagement, and family success.
In addition, an exceptional lineup of presenters contributed greatly to the day’s learning and conversation:
Ms. Adelita F. Muñoz (Emeritus), retired Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent;
Mr. Tomas “Tom” Tamez, Parent and Family Engagement and McKinney-Vento Director; Mr. Miguel Chuca, Region One Administrator with Assessment Analytics, Library Services, STEM, Instructional Technology, and Distance Learning, and Dr. Jasmine Gowarty, M.D., Medical Oncologist and Hematologist at Texas Oncology in McAllen. Their expertise and collaboration, combined with the support of Commissioner Torres highlighted the significance of father engagement and the strong community spirit that continues to uplift our Head Start families.

The conference was held on Friday, February 27th at the Doubletree Hotel in Mcallen, TX.