Yvette Sanchez Fuentes, Board Member
Connect with Yvette if you want to advance effective national policy or strengthen partnerships in early childhood development.
Yvette's professional journey is a clear dedication to addressing adversities faced by young children and families in low-income, migrant, and immigrant communities. Today, as the Senior Vice President of Government Relations & Research at Start Early, her calling is defined by policy leadership and intentional engagement of stakeholders across the country. Her expertise equips her with the insight necessary to drive effective policy and practice change in areas of Head Start, child care, and the workforce.
Yvette leads Start Early’s national strategy to advance its policy agenda and strengthen key partnerships with peer organizations and federal agency staff. She also oversees the National Center for Parent, Family, and Community Engagement, a critical resource that develops evidence-based best practices for Head Start programs nationwide.
She is a strategist, advocate, and driver of equity.
Prior to joining Start Early, Yvette served as the Director of the Office of Head Start as a Presidential Political Appointee. In this pivotal role, she shepherded sweeping reforms, including the creation of the Parent, Family and Community Engagement Framework and the launch of the pilot program that led directly to the implementation of Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships. When Yvette isn't focusing on national strategy, she is working to understand how research and implementation impact lifelong outcomes for the families she champions.