Early Childhood Leadership Fellow Spotlight: Linda Rowlett

Q. Tell us about yourself and your current professional role. What kind of work do you do, and who do you serve?

A. Currently, I serve as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant at Bons Secour Mercy Health in Northwest Ohio. I work with teachers, center administrators, parents and other professionals serving children from birth to 6 years old. This work focuses on supporting adults to help better promote the mental health needs of the children they teach and care for.

Q. What made you want to apply for the Early Childhood Leadership Fellowship?

A. I applied for the Early Childhood Leadership Fellowship out of an awareness that I need and want to be more knowledgeable about the policies that are being created for the youngest people in our state. Additionally, I want to learn as much as possible to be part of making policies in the future.

Q. What are you most excited to learn, gain, or take away from the Fellowship experience?

A. I am extremely excited to learn about the infrastructure of policymaking, stakeholder engagement, and the challenges that propel or slow down the progression of early childhood policy in Ohio.

Q. How did you first hear about or get involved with Groundwork Ohio?

A. I was initially exposed to Groundwork Ohio via the state Early Childhood Mental Health grant. Years later, I virtually met Groundwork Ohio Senior Director of Policy Caitlin Feasby Feldman, for a project in Lucas County. I have been curious about her work, and she advocated that we follow/sign up for communications from Groundwork. Since that recommendation, I began to get more information about opportunities to serve, be informed and advocate at the state level.

Q. What’s one issue or challenge in the early childhood system that you’re passionate about addressing?

A. I am passionate about better access to credentialed Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants across the state. There are counties in Northwest Ohio (and other counties) that do not have access to consultants that are from their own communities. This would require more funding for the service and reengaging former IECMH consultants in respective regions/counties.

Q. How does your lived experience shape the way you lead or advocate for young children and families?

A. My lived experience as the child of a single mother allows me personal insight into the needs of young families. I also became a part of the early childhood community, as a young single mother myself. The knowledge I gained professionally helped assist my personal path as a single mother. My partner has a young 4-year-old son that has experienced several traumas in his short life. Again, my personal and professional knowledge are proving to be crucial in guiding my partner towards stabilizing his son’s life and helping cultivate a safe and productive future.

Q. What do you think is important to help make Ohio the best place to be a young child?

A. An investment in young children of Ohio is an investment in the success and/or failure of our state. Creating the best place for Ohio youth includes access to housing, food, education, transportation, medical care, and safe communities. The best young minds need stability and support to help Ohio be a leader in the future technologically, agriculturally, and fiscally.

Q. How do you hope to use your voice as a leader in this space—now and in the future?

A. I hope to use my voice to advocate for policies, programming and funding that successfully reaches and serves young children and families around the state. Most importantly, I hope that when the community hears my voice, they are confident that I am speaking about things that matter and am willing to do the work for the success of said matters for the children and families of Ohio.