"Children are always learning, so what we expose them to in their first five years affects them for life."

Marla R. Elliott

Parent/Teacher Coach

Marla Elliott has been working with children and families for over 20 years as a Parent Coach. She currently teaches Parent & Me classes for the recreation departments of Escondido and Carlsbad, California. Previously, Marla directed a pre-school at Camp Pendleton and spent seven years as a Child Development Specialist at Nellis Air Force Base training teachers and parents.

Marla has led workshops and seminars for Children’s Home Society of California, Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps, the University of Las Vegas, Nevada Association for the Education of Young Children, Head Start, and other institutions.

A California native, Marla lived in several states as a child before her family settled in Santa Barbara. Her love for children started early in life, and by the age of 12 she ran her first summer preschool program. She attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, working as a clothing designer before re-focusing her career back to children and early childhood education. She completed her degree at California State University at Northridge in 1993. Her son Matthew was born in 1997. This was a turning point for Ms. Elliott both professionally and personally, as she would now experience working full time while raising a special needs child. She currently lives in Oceanside, CA.

Marla’s classes and workshops are child centered and emphasize the challenges of raising children in a culture of multiple and often opposing viewpoints to help parents know they are the most important role model their children will have. Her classes also help families create simple toys out of the items most people throw away.