Who We Are
PCMC has a vision that families in Monterey County thrive because children are parented well. Our mission is support parents and caregivers in developing their ability to nurture young children.
Bilingual Wellness and Postpartum Support Specialists
La maestra Jaimee De Pompeo ha trabajado en el valle de Salinas por casi diez años. Trabaja mayormente con las familias inmigrantes que trabajan en los campos. Para ella, la educación es la cosa más importante que alguien puede adquirir en esta vida. Esta muy contenta de seguir apoyando a su comunidad en el momento de empezar o crecer a su familia.
Jaimee is an educator, social justice ally, and lover of all things culture and language. She has worked for several years in the farmworker communities of the Salinas Valley as an English as a Second Language Instructor, curriculum development specialist, and advocate for her students. Previous to coming to Salinas, she was an Education and Youth Development Volunteer in Peace Corps Paraguay where she worked with people of all ages on various grass roots, community lead projects in her neighborhood. Most recently, Jaimee has trained as a doula, become a certified Lamaze Childbirth Educator, and a Certified Lactation Counselor. She believes in the power of relationships, community lead change, and empowerment through education and hopes to use these values to create a robust and thriving maternal mental health program at PCMC..
Bianca Estrada is a first-generation college student currently pursuing her Master of Social Work (MSW) at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), and is expected to graduate in 2023. She moved to Monterey County at 19 years old from San Diego and attended Monterey Peninsula College (MPC), where she earned her Associate’s Degree in Administration of Justice in 2015. Bianca continued her journey in pursuing higher education by attending CSUMB, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Collaborative Health and Human Services (CHHS) with a concentration in Social Work from CSUMB in 2019. She found her passion for advocacy when she had her son in 2017 and learned the power of advocacy and its empowerment to students in the campus community. Her passion is demonstrated through her current work as the co-founder of the Family Friendly Club on campus, whose mission is to provide support and resources to parenting students pursuing higher education. In her journey, she recognized the unique needs of each individual and the need to collaborate as a community toward bringing inclusivity and social change. She strives to help parents like herself build strong communities and practice inclusivity regardless of socioeconomic level, race, ethnicity, or gender identity.
Photo Credit – The Essential Mama Photo (Alex Beleche) @theessentialmamaphoto
Hello! My name is Shauna and I am an educator with Parenting Connection of Monterey County. I am happy to be the mother of my little boy, aged 4, and little girl, aged 2. I am a local birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, and postpartum chef who also loves to serve up home cooked nutrient dense meals to local families preparing for and recovering from childbirth. I look forward to having you join me in any of my upcoming classes. Keep an eye out for Childbirth Education classes, “Circle of Security ” where we will learn how to understand, support, develop and honor the emotional needs of ourselves and our children through a secure relationship and parent support groups.
Training and Support Staff
Gail has a B.S. in Child Development and M.A. in Clinical Psychology. She has worked with families for over five decades, learning the most raising her three grown daughters and now enjoying four grandchildren, ages 9, 6 and twins 4. She founded Parents’ Place, part of Pacific Grove Adult Education in 1988, and recently retired. She has served on the Board of the Birth Network of Monterey County, having enjoyed years of being a childbirth educator, doula, Lactation Consultant and leading groups for Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders. She was the Program Manager who developed classes for the Parenting Connection of Monterey County and now provides parent education support with her business Roots and Wings Parent Coaching.
Juliet comes to PCMC with an extensive professional background in public, private, and non-profit leadership. With over 20 years of experience developing educational programs for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, MEarth, and other small non-profits on the Monterey Peninsula, she is dedicated to supporting children and families. Juliet is a professional speaker, a certified leadership and parenting coach, and a mental and physical health advocate. By innovatively working alongside the PCMC Board of Directors and connecting with the public by cultivating and building relationships, it is her mission to create a strong foundation for serving our community by supporting parents and caregivers in developing their ability to nurture young children.
Early Childhood Educators and Parent Coaches
Hello! My name is Amanda and I am a Parent Education Specialist for the Parenting Connection of Monterey County. I was born and raised on the Monterey Peninsula, and I earned a B.A. in Art Studio and Art History from the University of California, Santa Barbara. After working as a lead graphic designer and assistant wedding photographer for ten years, I joined PCMC as a children’s art and science teacher in 2015. At the time I had two young children and I had been attending classes with them at Parent Place’ in Pacific Grove for six years, so I was delighted to find a position which combined my professional background in art and my new found passion for parent education. Now that I have many years of experience as a mother, a teacher, and a nanny I am excited to be leading the Wednesday Play and Learn classes and sharing what I learned and found so valuable as a new mother. Some of my other areas of interest include attachment/gentle parenting, simple living, and Waldorf education. When I’m not in the classroom, I love spending time in nature with my husband and two kids. We enjoy doing many things together as a family, including camping, mountain biking, hiking, snowboarding, and traveling. I feel extremely lucky to live in such a beautiful place and that I get to enjoy all the amazing things the central coast has to offer.
Hola! Mi nombre es Patricia Cordova (Patty), soy Peruana de nacimiento y vivo en California desde hace 10 años.
First and foremost, I am a mom of three awesome girls. (13,7 and 1).
I am a Board-Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst ,that currently works with adults with special needs. I am also the Program Coordinator for PALS and the Parent Educator for our Saturdays playgroups. I graduated Brandman University with a Masters on Special Education (emphasis on ABA) and also earned a bachelors in Psychology from CSUMB.
My experience includes being a Preschool Teacher, Early Interventionist Specialist, Case Manager for children with ASD, Parent Coach, and in the beginning Nanny and Babysitter.
The majority, if not all, of my work has been dedicated and center to serving families and assisting them to gain knowledge and resources around their children development.
I have a true passion for working with them and helping each of these families to progress as a whole and as individuals.
Adrianne Gabrio is a substitute Parent Educator at the Parenting Connection of Monterey County. Adrianne has been in the educational field for 14 years. Her passion for education started in young adulthood when she worked as an assistant teacher at a Waldorf home based program. Adrianne continued her child development education at Mills College where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development. While at Mills she worked at their renowned Reggio Emilia inspired Lab School. After graduation she worked at programs that utilized Waldorf, Montessori, and Reggio philosophies while pursuing her Site Supervisor Child Development Permit. Adrianne taught infants, toddlers, and preschoolers at various programs.
After six years in the early childhood field she decided to further her educational scope by going back to school and received her mild/moderate special education teaching credential in 2015 from CSUMB, allowing her to teach students from three through twenty one (in addition to the zero through five age range). Adrianne then taught an early childhood special day class and elementary school resource. In her spare time she loves hiking and fishing with her husband and three year old daughter. She also enjoys knitting and collecting vintage cookbooks. Adrianne is looking forward to supporting you and your family during your parenting journey.