Hi friends,
I’m really excited to share with you all about how well the new Family Stress Support program is going. We expanded this program to the San Fernando Valley earlier this year, after piloting it in Santa Clarita. In the Santa Clarita DCFS office, social workers went from an average caseload of 22 clients to 9, which they attribute in large part to the effectiveness of this program. Here’s how it works:
Just this week alone, we were able to help a dozen families, and more keep coming. Social workers and agencies love to refer clients since there is no red tape, request tickets, or another line of referrals to get families the help they need. Here’s some recent stories:
- A single mother had her kids detained for the first time, and was able to navigate the often complicated court system to register for therapy, parenting and anger management classes required by the court. It is often very difficult for families to find these themselves.
- A young woman experiencing shame from a domestic abuse situation was able to get the help she and her daughter needed from a support group, helping her know she is not alone in this hard process.
- A small family who lost their home, jobs and car in the same week was able to receive vouchers for a local motel, boxes of clothing and food, and free transportation for Mom to find another job.
- Another single mother with a toddler and infant had to move out of a roach infested apartment, with no furniture, hygiene or essential baby items received everything she needed to care for her children, keeping them out of the child welfare system.
Your prayers, financial gifts and word of mouth have made this possible. We have already had different organizations around Los Angeles asking when we can expand the program to their areas! This is only possible by those who are giving to keep this program free of charge, and able to swiftly meet these needs instead of form submissions, legal costs, and other hassles that families in crisis are not prepared to navigate.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, and those who we serve. You are seen, appreciated, and making a difference!