Kathy Abate
Kathy has over 40 years of experience in early childhood education. She first joined WHCDC in 1985 and worked there until 2006. In 2019, she returned as an assistant teacher, bringing her deep dedication and love for young children back to the classroom. Kathy holds an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. Her favorite part of working with children is the hugs, the smiles, and witnessing their growth and development each day. Some of her favorite children’s books include Guess How Much I Love You and Corduroy. Outside of the classroom, Kathy enjoys spending time with her family and friends, walking along the beach, and relaxing with her two cats, Belle and Maurice. She's also a dedicated fan of the Mets, Giants, and Rangers.
Mary Biehl
Mary has been a Head teacher at WHCDC since 1999. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Child Development Psychology and Early Childhood Education from Eastern Connecticut State University. She continues to take ongoing trainings and workshops to stay up to date with her professional path. She has two lovely children that are both alumni from West Haven Child Development Center and a loving supportive husband that keeps up with her daily busy schedule. Mary loves everything Disney, appreciates the beauty of nature, and loves to travel.
Thiommy Caraballo
Thiommy has been a substitute teacher at WHCDC since 2022. She is currently working toward her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology at Southern Connecticut State University. Thiommy loves watching young children learn, grow, and explore the world with curiosity and joy. She feels it is a blessing to be part of their early years and to help nurture their development. Some of her favorite classroom activities include dance parties with the children and reading classroom favorites like Walking Through the Jungle and Dragon on the Doorstep. Outside of work, Thiommy enjoys spending time with her one-year-old shorkie, Loki.
Helena Correia
Helena has been a teacher at West Haven Child Development Center since January 2008. Helena studied Child Studies at Post University and earned her Bachelor’s Degree.
Megan Correia
Megan has been a teacher at West Haven Child Development Center since August 2018. Megan studied Psychology at the University of New Haven and earned her Bachelor’s Degree. She has always loved that WHCDC feels like a second home. Everyone is welcoming and it is like we are a big family. Megan and her whole family attended WHCDC as children.
Jillian Davis
Jill joined WHCDC in 2023 and has since cherished the opportunity to work closely with children, supporting their growth in a nurturing and creative environment. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, Criminal Justice, and Forensic Science, and has completed over 30 hours of specialized training and Early Childhood Education credits. Her diverse academic background brings a well-rounded perspective to her classroom. Art is one of Jill’s greatest passions, and she loves incorporating creativity into her teaching as she watches children grow into their unique personalities. She deeply values the relationships she builds with her students and their families and is grateful to be part of their early learning experiences. Jill believes that watching children grow is one of the most rewarding aspects of her work, and she is honored to contribute to their developmental journey.
Flor Escarcega
Flor has been an bilingual assistant teacher at West Haven Child Development Center since January 2019. Flor studied Early Childhood Education at Gateway Community College and earned her Associate’s degree. Flor is currently working on her Bachelor’s degree at Charter Oak State College. She also has a beautiful 7 year old girl. Flor believes that children learn through play and she provides children with the opportunities to create, discover and explore.
Elena Farquharson
Elena is the Assistant Office Administrator and has been part of the WHCDC family for about eight years. A proud alumni of WHCDC herself, Elena attended the center as a child. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Resource and Economics with a concentration in Business Management and Marketing from UConn and is currently pursuing her MBA. Elena loves seeing the children’s happy faces every day and enjoys watching them grow during their time at WHCDC. She hopes that every child leaves knowing they will always have a home here—that WHCDC is not just a school, but one big family they can always come back to and visit. Some fun facts about Elena: she has three dogs, and enjoys golfing, cooking, spending time with friends, swimming, and relaxing by the pool.
Robin Glynn
Robin G. has been a teacher at West Haven Child Development Center since May, 2021. She studied Early Childhood Education at Gateway Community College and she also studied English and Journalism at Southern Connecticut State University. Robin has enjoyed working with all the children and learning new things about each classroom.
Kate Harrington
Kate has been a preschool teacher at WHCDC since 2002. She graduated with honors from Carter Oak State College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Studies and now serves as a mentor to current students and new teachers. What Kate loves most about working with young children is the excitement they show when learning something new. She believes children teach us patience and remind us to slow down and enjoy the moment. It’s important to her that every child in her classroom feels loved and supported. Her goal is for children to leave her classroom with kind hearts full of empathy, stronger self-regulation skills, and a lasting love of learning. Kate lives in Milford with her parents, her son Alexander, and her dog Barkley. In her free time, she enjoys using her Cricut to create cards and classroom projects. She also loves Disney, reading, parasailing, horseback riding, word searches, and taking leisurely walks to the beach.
Kerry Kennedy
Kerry has been a teacher at West Haven Child Development Center since March 2005. Kerry studied Early Childhood Education at Post University and Charter Oak State College and earned her Bachelor’s Degree. She has enjoyed many friendships over the years and feels like the staff are more than just co-workers, they are family. Outside of work, Kerry is a wife, mom and Girl Scout Leader.
Victoria Longo
Victoria has been part of the WHCDC team for the past four years, starting as a substitute and now working as an assistant teacher after earning her CDA. She also holds a ServSafe food handler’s license. Victoria’s favorite part of working with children is helping them learn and grow, and seeing the joy light up their faces. Her favorite children’s book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and she especially enjoys doing art activities with the kids. She has been married for nearly 20 years and is a proud mom of two boys. Her family also includes a dog and a cat. In her free time, Victoria loves relaxing by the pool and soaking up the sun.
Olivia Male
Olivia is the Infant Toddler Team Leader, a role she began in 2022. She has been part of the Center since 2014, having served in various roles including social work intern, substitute teacher, and infant toddler teacher. Olivia earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Social Work from Southern Connecticut State University. She holds her LMSW, Infant Toddler Teaching Certificate from Charter Oak State College, and Early Childhood Teaching Credential. Olivia loves watching infants and toddlers discover who they are as they grow and learn. She is grateful to families for sharing their children with us here at the Center. Olivia has a daughter, Emersyn, born in February 2025. When she’s not at the Center, you can find her spending time with family, reading a book, or relaxing at the movie theater.
Tanya Montero
Tanya is a preschool teacher at WHCDC with 15 years of experience in early childhood education. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Language Literacy in Spanish, with a minor in Early Childhood Education. What Tanya loves most about working with young children is being part of their early development and helping them build confidence and imagination. She hopes that after spending time in her classroom, children and families leave with a sense of belonging, confidence, and a love of learning. Her goal is for children to know they were loved, valued, and encouraged to be their unique selves, and for families to feel supported and connected in nurturing their child’s growth. A fun fact about Tanya is that she owns two small businesses, one creating tumblers, mugs, and unique party favors, and another designing flashcards and educational bundles to support children's learning at home.
Robin Pesapane
Robin P. has been a teacher at West Haven Child Development Center since September of 1982. Prior to that she was a board member and student teacher. Robin studied Early Childhood Education at Post University and earned an Associate of Science, CDA credential and is a State of Connecticut Designated Head Teacher. Her journey began here at West Haven Child Development Center when her oldest son started here back in 1980. She fell in love with this place and the children so she went back to school to become a teacher. In 1981, she did her student teaching here. She was also a substitute teacher and was asked to become a parent board member. Since then her second son came here as well and both of her grandsons and nieces. WHCDC is like a family and home to her.
Amirah Ramos
Amirah began her journey at WHCDC in 2024 as a volunteer through the High School Summer Youth Program. She later joined the team as a substitute teacher during the summer. What Amirah enjoys most about working with young children is watching their personalities emerge and seeing how their imaginations shape their play. After completing her degree, she hopes to pursue a career as either a general pediatrician or a pediatric surgeon.
Amanda Sanders
Amanda has been a co-teacher at West Haven Child Development Center since April 2015. Amanda studied Early Childhood Inclusion Education at Housatonic Community College and earned her Associate’s Degree. In 2022, Amanda earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education at Charter Oak State College. Amanda has been teaching infants and toddlers for 14 years and has loved every moment of it! She loves being able to strengthen a child’s development, help build their confidence in themselves and help them become positive members of society, as well as creating trusting relationships between each child.
Seneca Schultz
Seneca is an assistant teacher at WHCDC and has been part of the team for nearly five years. She brings almost 16 years of experience in early childhood education. Seneca holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and has completed additional coursework in Early Childhood Education. She hopes that every child and family who enters her classroom feels like part of a school family, where every child is safe, loved, and treated equally. Seneca finds joy in watching children grow and change each day, especially seeing their excitement when they learn something new. Outside of the classroom, Seneca enjoys spending time on her boat, being out on the water, soaking up the sunshine, and seeking out new adventures. She's a big fan of Disney and shares her home with her beloved bunny, Thumper.
Katherine Silva
Katie has been working in early childhood education for three years and joined WHCDC in February 2025. She is currently attending Post University, where she is studying Early Childhood Education. Katie loves watching her students grow in their social and motor skills and enjoys helping them reach important milestones, from speech development to crawling and walking. Some of her favorite classroom activities include reading Pete the Cat books, doing art projects, and taking neighborhood walks with the children. Outside the classroom, Katie enjoys gardening and going on camping trips with her high school sweetheart and their two children. She also loves spending time with her family and watching football with her dachshund.
Julianna Smith
Julianna has been a preschool teacher at West Haven Child Development since February, 2021. Julianna studied History with a minor in Psychology at Central Connecticut State University and earned a Bachelor’s of Arts. Before she became a preschool teacher, she was an ABA Therapist, working with children with special needs for 14 years. She is a true believer in positivity and communication and tries to live and teach by that. She loves working here, as what better job is there than to play and teach young children.
Emily Turbert
Emily is a teacher in an Infant Toddler mixed age group classroom at West Haven Child Development Center, Inc. She currently has her Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Gateway Community College. Emily also received her Infant and Toddler Care Certificate from Charter Oak State College. She is currently working towards her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Charter Oak State College in Early Childhood Education. Emily has been at the center since 2005. First, she worked part-time in the kitchen as well as in the infant/toddler and preschool classrooms. In 2008, she was hired full-time for the infant and toddler program. In her free time, Emily enjoys reading, baking, and spending time with her two year old nephew.
Serena Ugas
Serena has been a substitute teacher at WHCDC since January 2022. She studied Art in college and completed additional coursework in early childhood education. Serena loves engaging with children through conversation, playing silly games, and celebrating each milestone they reach. Her favorite children’s book is Over in the Meadow, and she especially enjoys joining the children in the dramatic play area, where she believes their creativity and imagination truly shine. Outside of work, Serena enjoys spending time with her friends and family, caring for her four cats, and expressing her creativity through art, puzzles, and painting her own nails.
Liz Wierzbicki
Liz is an Infant/Toddler Teacher who joined the West Haven Child Development Center in January of 2017. She graduated with a degree in Communication and a minor in Business and has taken many Early Childhood Courses since. She loves working with young children and watching them grow and develop their personalities. Her favorite part of the day is hearing the children laugh and observing how caring they can be with one another. Liz feels especially honored to be entrusted with the care of your children and looks forward to sharing in their learning.
Carmen Zavala
Carmen has been an assistant teacher at WHCDC for 3.5 years. She holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering, both obtained through the Institute of Foreign Credential Services. She has also completed additional coursework in Early Childhood Education. Carmen loves working with young children because she believes early childhood is the most important stage for learning, when values, morality, and a strong educational foundation are built. Her favorite classroom activities include art, writing, dancing, and singing. In her free time, Carmen enjoys gardening, preparing healthy meals, and playing or watching basketball.