Defining Ladders of Opportunity

Before there was a program name, a framework, or a title attached to the work, there were already people showing up for one another.

That is how Lorée Washington talks about ACE.

“For a lot of us, this work started before ACE,” she said. “ACE just became the place where we could do it together.”

As the lead of ACE’s Ladders of Opportunity program, Lorée supports parents and caregivers as they navigate education, workforce development, and the realities of everyday survival. But for her, the work goes beyond job pathways or certifications. It begins with relationships, trust, and recognizing the strengths people already carry with them.

“Community is at the heart of everything we do,” Lorée shared. “Whether I’m helping parents figure out their next step, supporting peer mentors, or connecting families to resources, it all matters.”

Ladders was designed specifically for parents who have already participated in the Parent Mentor Program, building on the skills and leadership they already possess rather than asking them to start over. The program creates pathways into education and career development while recognizing the barriers many families face along the way.

For Lorée, one story continues to stay with her: a parent who spent nearly two years trying to complete her GED while balancing instability in housing, work, and family responsibilities. There were pauses, setbacks, and moments where continuing felt impossible. But she kept returning.

Today, that parent has completed her GED, applied for her paraprofessional license, and is now a candidate for the Grow Your Own teacher development program.

“What stands out is that she didn’t give up,” Lorée said. “Even when things didn’t line up the first time.”

The realities families are navigating remain complex. Housing insecurity, food access, childcare needs, and financial strain shape daily decision-making for many parents in the communities ACE serves. Through partnerships with local food pantries and programs like Moms 911, ACE works to connect families to immediate support while continuing to build long-term opportunities.

Still, Lorée believes the greatest thing people overlook is the strength already present within these communities.

“There’s this assumption that if there’s not a lot of money, there’s not a lot of talent or knowledge, but that’s not true,” she said. “There’s a lot of talent here. It’s just not always met with opportunity. People support each other. There’s care here. There’s love here.”

For Lorée, ACE became a place where people already committed to their communities could come together with a shared purpose.

“When I really saw what ACE was trying to build,” she reflected, “I thought, ‘This is what we’ve been waiting for.’”