Member Spotlight: Center for Transforming Lives

“ELA advances our mission… by helping our community understand the importance of early childhood education for ALL children.”
-Carol Klocek, CEO for Center for Transforming Lives

In this blog, we are highlighting one of our founding members: Center for Transforming Lives

Carol Klocek, MSW, MBA is the CEO of Center for Transforming Lives (CTL), a local nonprofit organization that uses a two-generation approach to work alongside women and their children as they move from poverty to prosperity through housing, early childhood education, clinical counseling and economic mobility services. By providing comprehensive housing services, early childhood education, economic mobility, and clinical counseling services. CTL addresses their most critical needs and supports mothers in creating long-term sustainability for their families. 

CTL was a founding member of the Early Learning Alliance (ELA). Currently, CTL team members participate in multiple ELA committees, including the Leadership Team.

Q: Why do you think ELA is an asset to the community?

Klocek: “Quality, accessible early learning environments are fundamental to the success of any community and ELA facilitates that for Tarrant County through its initiatives, space for collaboration, advocacy and education. ELA is also lifting the parent voice to influence the field and operating environment.”

Jessica Trudeau, CTL’s Chief Transformation Officer, shared that “ELA is a leader in local and statewide policy reform, which contributes to population-level change for our community and our state.”

Q. How does ELA advance your organization’s mission? 

Klocek: “ELA advances our mission by ensuring that accessibility is maintained as a priority.  Low-income parents struggle with employment due to the high cost of care, and finding quality care they can afford is a huge challenge.  Our partnership with ELA promotes that message more powerfully than CTL can do on its own.  ELA also advances our mission by helping our community understand the importance of early childhood education for ALL children.”