[00:00:03]
[I. Welcome and Opening Remarks]
HELLO EVERYONE.AND, UM, OH YES, I'M A VOICE OUT IN THE VOID.
I'M SO SORRY TO NOT BE THERE WITH YOU ALL IN PERSON.
UM, BUT EXCITED TO WELCOME YOU ALL, UM, VIRTUALLY TO THE FIRST MEETING OF OUR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND EARLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE FOR THE 2026-27 SCHOOL YEAR.
UM, HAPPY AS ALWAYS TO WELCOME OUR BOARD MEMBERS, OUR DISTRICT STAFF, OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, AND CONTINUE THIS IMPORTANT WORK, UM, THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
LAST YEAR, THIS COMMITTEE HELPED ELEVATE SOME IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND HELP SHAPE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW THE DISTRICT CAN CONTINUE TO IMPROVE ITS SERVICES FOR OUR YOUNG STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES FROM BIRTH THROUGH THE EARLY GRADES.
AND I'M PROUD THAT MANY OF THESE CONVERSATIONS ALSO HELPED INFORM OUR LEARNING BEGINS AT BIRTH RESOLUTION, WHICH LAYS OUT AN AMBITIOUS VISION FOR EXPANDING ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY, AFFORDABLE EARLY CARE AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS AND CHILDCARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR FAMILIES DISTRICT-WIDE, AS WELL AS AN EXPANSION OF OUR DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS. AS WE BEGIN A NEW YEAR, I WANT THIS COMMITTEE TO CONTINUE BEING A SPACE WHERE WE DON'T ALWAYS, DON'T ONLY HEAR ABOUT THE WORK UNDERWAY, BUT ALSO BRINGING IN OUR FAMILIES AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UM, TO HELP US THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN BETTER RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGES OUR FAMILIES ARE EXPERIENCING.
TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH AN UPDATE ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE PRESENTED LAST SCHOOL YEAR AND HEAR ABOUT THE DISTRICT'S PROGRESS TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING THEM.
WE WILL ALSO THEN TURN TO A VERY IMPORTANT, UM, ISSUE THAT IS IMPACTING OUR KIDS' ABILITY TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL AND THEIR WELLBEING OVERALL, WHICH IS HOUSING INSTABILITY AND RISING HOMELESSNESS AMONG, UH, CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.
WE KNOW THAT FAMILIES IN LA ARE STRUGGLING TO STAY HOUSED AND THAT IMPACTS THEIR ENROLLMENT, ATTENDANCE, HEALTH, WELLBEING, AND OUR KIDS' ABILITY TO CONSISTENTLY ACCESS OUR EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS. SO EXCITED TO HEAR FROM OUR DISTRICT STAFF AS WELL AS COMMUNITY PARTNERS ABOUT HOW WE CAN BEST SUPPORT OUR KIDDOS EXPERIENCING HOUSING INSTABILITY.
UM, WHAT ARE OUR OPPORTUNITIES FOR STRONGER COLLABORATION? UM, I'M ESPECIALLY GLAD THAT PARA LOS NINOS IS JOINING US TODAY.
WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR ONE OF THEIR EARLY LEARNING SITES IN THE SPRING AND TALK ABOUT WAYS IN WHICH THEY'RE SUPPORTING THEIR FAMILIES WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
SO I'M EXCITED THAT THEY CAN BRING THEIR EXPERTISE AND THEIR PERSPECTIVE TO THE COMMITTEE AND THIS CONVERSATION TODAY.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, AS ALWAYS, WE'LL HEAR FROM PUBLIC COMMENT SPEAKERS AT THE END OF THE MEETING AND FOLKS CAN SIGN UP IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED, SINCE IT'S THE FIRST MEETING OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR, WE WILL, UH, START WITH A ROUND OF INTRODUCTIONS AND WELCOMING OUR NEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, I MIGHT JUST TURN THIS, UM, MR. MELVOIN HAS, UH, KINDLY OFFERED TO HELP, UH, RUN THE MEETING SINCE I CAN'T SEE EVERYONE SUPER WELL WHERE I AM.
UM, SO MAYBE I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, NICK, IF YOU WANNA JUST HELP US GO AROUND FOR INTRODUCTIONS PLEASE.
AND ALSO, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
WE'RE SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT A SICK KIDDO AND WISH HIM AND YOU ALL WELL.
UM, HI EVERYONE, BOARD MEMBER NICK MELVOIN, UM, REPRESENTING DISTRICT FOUR, THRILLED TO BE ON THIS COMMITTEE FOR THIRD, FOURTH YEAR, HOWEVER, SINCE ITS INCEPTION.
UM, AND AS WE WERE JUST DISCUSSING, ALSO NOW THE FATHER OF A 14 MONTH OLD, UM, SO KIND OF NEW, NEWLY INTERESTED FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE HAVING BEEN A TEACHER AND BOARD MEMBER, AND NOW ALSO PARENT WHO'S EXCITED TO EXPLORE MORE ABOUT OUR EARLY EDUCATION OPTIONS.
UM, MAYBE WE'LL START WITH MONICA DOWN HERE AND JUST GO AROUND THE HORSESHOE, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE MS. ORTIZ FRANKLIN TOO.
MY NAME'S MONICA MEDRANO REPRESENTING SEIU LOCAL 99 AND A MEMBER OF ALSO SEIU 99 AND A WORKER AT TAL FAIR EARLY ED CENTER.
HELLO, MY NAME IS BRENDA BROWN.
I'M A PRESCHOOL TEACHER AND REPRESENT, UH, UTLA.
CAROLYN KERLOT, DIRECTOR OF POLICY WITH EARLY EDGE CALIFORNIA, AND ALSO A PROUD LAUSD PARENT OF TWO KIDDOS, ONE IN PRESCHOOL AND ONE IN FOURTH GRADE.
I'M JUNE HI DO, DIRECTOR OF POLICY AT CATALYST CALIFORNIA, AND ALSO A PROUD LAUSD PARENT OF A KINDERGARTNER.
AZUCENA HERNANDEZ, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AT FAMILIES IN SCHOOLS, UH, LAUSD ALUM AND HAVE A FIVE-YEAR-OLD.
MY NAME'S ELIZABETH JACOBY AND I'M REPRESENTING, UH, LA COUNTY'S OFFICE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION, AND I'M A PROGRAM MANAGER THERE FOR INFANT AND TODDLER FACILITY DEVELOPMENT.
WELL, TH- THOSE ARE THE FOLKS IN THE ROOM, AND THEN MS. ORTIZ-FRANKLIN, AND THEN I'LL TURN...
OH, IVANA, YOU SHOULD COME ON UP.
WHY DON'T YOU COME ON UP AND WE CAN JUST...
AND I SEE JEN'S NOT HERE YET TOO, BUT COME OVER.
YOU CAN TAKE KELLY'S PLACE OF HONOR RIGHT HERE IF THAT WORKS.
AND MAYBE AS SHE'S COMING, I'LL JUST SAY HI EVERYONE.
[00:05:01]
FRANKLIN REPRESENTING DISTRICT SEVEN, THE, UM, SOUTH BAY AND SOUTH LOS ANGELES.UM, ALSO AN LAUSD ALUM, FORMER TEACHER AND PARENT.
UM, AND I LOVE THIS COMMITTEE.
AND NOW WE DO HAVE IVANA B- BARLOW.
I AM THE PARENT REPRESENTATIVE.
I HAVE TWO BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN IN WEST REGION, AND I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY.
UM, AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO MS. GONEZ.
AND I GUESS I FORGOT TO SAY WHO I AM.
I PROUDLY REPRESENT THE EAST SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, AND I'M ALSO A MOM OF THREE KIDS, AGES THREE THROUGH EIGHT, UM, ONE IN AN EARLY ED CENTER.
AND WE DO HAVE, UH, TWO NEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I'LL NOTE THEY MAY NOT BE WITH US JUST YET, BUT, UM, AND I...
THIS IS AN AMAZING GROUP ALWAYS.
UM, SO WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE SOME RETURNING MEMBERS AND SOME NEW FOLKS.
UM, AND IN ADDITION TO ELIZABETH, WHO'S JOINING US FROM THE COUNTY, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR ELIZABETH.
WE ALSO HAVE ROSA DIAZ, WHO IS THE PRESCHOOL COMMITTEE CHAIR AT UTLA WHO WILL BE JOINING US, UM, AND ELIZABETH BLACKWELL, UM, WHO IS THE PRINCIPAL AT ESTHER COLLINS EARLY EDUCATION CENTER FOR, AS OUR ALA REPRESENTATIVE.
[II.1. Progress Updates on 2025-26 Committee Recommendations]
NOW TO OUR FIRST PRESENTATION.UM, AND SO, UH, WE'RE KICKING OFF, AS I MENTIONED, TALKING ABOUT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LAST SCHOOL YEAR AND LOOKING AT WHAT PROGRESS WE'VE MADE SINCE THEN.
SO WE HAVE, UH, THE MIGHTY RENE AMEZQUITA FROM OUR EARLY EDUCATION DIVISION PRESENTING ALONGSIDE MATTHEW OBERLANDER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DACE.
CONGRATULATIONS, MATTHEW, BY THE WAY.
UM, AND ELSIE ROSADO FROM STUDENT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO WALK US THROUGH THOSE UPDATES.
AND IF YOU ALL COULD JUST HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS TILL THE END, AND MR. MELVIN WILL HELP US CALL IN EVERYONE.
SO GOOD MORNING, UM, COMMITTEE CHAIR GONEZ AND BOARD, AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS RENE AMASQUITA, AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION DIVISION.
AND I'M HERE TO SHARE SOME OF THE WORK WE'VE DONE BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE LAST SCHOOL YEAR.
SO YOU CAN SEE HERE THERE WERE EIGHT RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH RECOMMENDATION NUMBER ONE.
SO TO DO THAT, I'M GOING TO CALL UP MATTHEW OBERLANDER, WHO IS GONNA TALK ABOUT OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS THAT RECOMMENDATION.
GREETINGS MEMBERS OF THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN EARLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE.
MY NAME IS MATTHEW OBERLANDER, AND I SERVE AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE DIVISION OF ADULT AND CAREER EDUCATION.
IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE TODAY TO HIGHLIGHT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH LAUSD'S EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION DIVISION, AND TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE WAYS WE WORK TOGETHER TO EXPAND ACCESS TO EARLY EDUCATION AND TO PREPARE FUTURE EARLY EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS.
FIRST, WE'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THREE EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT ARE LOCATED AT ADULT EDUCATION CAMPUSES.
OFFERING ONSITE PROGRAMS NOT ONLY CREATES NEW ADULT...
I'M SORRY, NEW EARLY EDUCATION ACCESS POINTS FOR THE COMMUNITY, UH, IT ALSO PROVIDES CHILDCARE FOR SOME OF OUR ADULT EDUCATION STUDENTS AND PROVIDES POTENTIAL, UM, MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS BOTH PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION, UH, BRADLEY EARLY EDUCATION CENTER, WHICH IS CO-LOCATED AT MAXINE WATERS, UH, EDUCATIONAL PREP CENTER, ALSO ACTS AS AN EXTERNSHIP SITE FOR ADULT EDUCATION CHILD DEVELOPMENT STUDENTS, PROVIDING VALUABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HANDS-ON LEARNING IN A REAL WORLD, UH, SETTING.
OTHER EARLY EDUCATION CA - CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT ALSO HOST OUR CHILD DEVELOPMENT STUDENTS, UH, AS A TRAINING PARTNERSHIP.
THESE EXTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE A KEY PART OF OUR CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, A TUITION-FREE TRAINING PATHWAY THAT PREPARES INDIVIDUALS FOR CAREERS IN EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILDCARE SERVICES.
OUR CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, WHICH CONSISTS OF THREE 100-HOUR COURSES, IS CURRENTLY OFFERED AT SIX ADULT EDUCATION SITES LOCATED ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT BY CREDENTIALED INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AND INCLUDE EXTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
STUDENTS WHO COMPLETE THE PROGRAM QUALIFY FOR A CHILD DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT PERMIT, WHICH IS ISSUED THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA COMMISSION FOR TEACHER CREDENTIALING.
EVERY STUDENT WHO COMPLETES OUR CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM RECEIVES INFORMATION ABOUT THE EARLY EDUCATION JOB OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE THROUGH LAUSD.
UH, WE ALSO PROVIDE SUPPORT WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS WHEN A STUDENT IS INTERESTED IN PURSUING A CAREER WITH THE DISTRICT.
THE DIVISION OF ADULT CARE EDUCATION VALUES OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION DIVISION, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONTINUED EFFORTS TO FOSTER LIFELONG LEARNING FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD THROUGH ADULTHOOD.
SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO, UH, WELCOME MS. AMISQUITA BACK TO CONTINUE THE PRESENTATION.
[00:10:02]
SO NEXT, I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT RECOMMENDATION NUMBER TWO, IMPROVING WORKFORCE DATA TRANSPARENCY AND PLANNING.SO I'M GONNA FOCUS ON OUR CERTIFICATED STAFF TODAY.
CURRENTLY, THE EARLY EDUCA - EARLY EDUCATION HAS 575 ACTIVE EARLY EDUCATION TEACHERS.
THERE ARE 38 EIGHT-HOUR POSITION - PERMANENT POSITION VACANCIES AND 31 FOUR-HOUR POSITION VACANCIES.
THERE'S 121 ACTIVE SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS SUPPORTING DAILY AND LONG-TERM STAFFING NEEDS.
THE ELIGIBILITY LIST IS COMPRISED OF 88 CANDIDATES ELIGIBLE TO INTERVIEW FOR A PROBATIONARY TEACHER POSITION.
THE RECRUITMENT PIPELINE REMAINS ACTIVE AS WELL.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY 88 CANDIDATES, AND 21 OF THEM ARE MOVING THROUGH THE ONBOARDING PROCESS.
OF THE 21, 18 ARE ONBOARDING FOR SUBSTITUTE POSITIONS, AND THREE ARE ONBOARDING FOR PERMANENT POSITIONS.
I DO WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT THAT SOUNDS LIKE A HIGH NUMBER OF VACANCIES IN OUR CENTERS, BUT CURRENTLY, AND LAST YEAR WE DID THE SAME THING, WE ARE NOT FILLING ANY VACANCIES IF THE CENTER IS NOT AT 80% ENROLLMENT.
SO ONCE THE CENTER GETS TO 80% ENROLLMENT, THEN WE ALLOW THEM TO FILL THE VACANCY THAT THEY HAVE SINCE OUR CENTERS ARE STAFFED AT 100% ENROLLMENT.
UM, SO LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS TOGETHER, NOT INDEPENDENTLY, ALLOWS US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND BOTH OUR IMMEDIATE STAFFING NEEDS AND OUR POTENTIAL WORKFORCE SUPPLY.
SO THE DATA ALSO HELPS US IDENTIFY PATTERNS, UM, THAT AFFECT OUR ABILITY TO STAFF CLASSROOMS. ONE OF THE PATTERNS, UM, IS THE STRUCTURE OF OUR FOUR-HOUR ASSIGNMENTS.
THEIR CLOSING ASSIGNMENTS AND FRAGMENTED SCHEDULES CAN BE MORE DIFFICULT TO FILL.
SUBSTITUTES DON'T ALWAYS WANT TO TAKE, UM, ON THOSE, UM, OPENINGS, THOSE VACANCIES.
EARLY EDUCATION CENTERS ARE OPEN FOR 10 AND A HALF HOUR DAYS, SO USUALLY THE FOUR HOURS ARE EITHER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY OR THE END OF THE DAY.
THEY FILL THOSE GAPS IN OUR FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT.
SO EXTENDED LEAVES ALSO HAVE ANOTHER FACTOR ON OUR SUBSTITUTE RATE.
ALTHOUGH WE HAVE AN ACTIVE SUBSTITUTE POOL, A SUBSTITUTE WHO COMMITS TO AN EXTENDED LEAVE ASSIGNMENT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR THOSE DAILY EMERGENCIES OR THOSE DAILY ABSENCES.
SO WHEN PERMANENT VACANCIES REMAIN OPEN AS WELL, SUBSTITUTES ARE USED TO MAINTAIN THE RATIOS AT THE CENTER, WHICH REDUCES SUBSTITUTE CAPACITY, UM, THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE ACROSS THE DIVISION.
THE IMPORTANT POINT IS THAT THE SIZE OF THE SUBSTITUTE POOL ITSELF DOES NOT TELL THE ENTIRE STORY.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT PERMANENT VACANCIES, POSITION STRUCTURE, LEAVES, CANDIDATE AVAILABILITY, AND SUBST- SUBSTITUTE UTILIZATION TOGETHER.
THAT GIVES US A MUCH STRONGER FOUNDATION, UM, FOR WORKFORCE PLANNING, WHICH LEADS DIRECTLY TO THE NEXT RECOMMENDATION, WHICH ASKS US TO LOOK BEYOND THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AND EXAMINE HOW OUR STAFFING STRUCTURES ITSELF AFFECT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.
SO NEXT YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS RECOMMENDATION RECOGNIZES THE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION ARE NOT SIMPLY ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE WE RECRUIT, THEY ARE ALSO INFLU- INFLUENCED ON HOW MANY POSITIONS, SCHEDULES, AND COVERAGE RESOURCES ARE NEEDED.
OUR PERMANENT WORKFORCE IS OBVIOUSLY THE FOUNDATION.
FILLING PERMANENT POSITIONS PROVIDES STABLE CLASSROOM STAFFING AND CONTINUITY FOR CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND SCHOOL COMMUNITIES.
OUR SUBSTITUTE POLL SERVES A DIFFERENT BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT FUNCTION.
SUBSTITUTES PROVIDE DAILY EMERGENCY AND SHORT-TERM COVERAGE WHEN PERMANENT EMPLOYEES ARE ABSENT.
THE MORE SUBSTITUTES WE HAVE COMMITTED TO COVERING STRUCTURAL VACANCIES TO LENGTHY ASSIGNMENTS, HOWEVER, THE FEWER SUBSTITUTES REMAIN AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO DAY-TO-DAY NEEDS.
THE THIRD COMPONENT IS OUR CANDIDATE PIPELINE.
CANDIDATES MOVING THROUGH THE ELIGIBILITY AND ONBOARD REPRESENTING, REPRESENT OUR OPPORTUNITY TO CONVERT VACANCIES INTO PERMANENT STAFFING.
THAT'S WHY RECRUITMENT CANNOT BE VIEWED SEPARATELY FROM ONBOARDING VACANCY MANAGEMENT AND SUBSTITUTE UTILIZATION.
THESE THREE AREAS ARE INTERCONNECTED.
WHEN WE SUCCESSFULLY MOVE CANDIDATES INTO PERMANENT VACANCIES, WE INCREASE PERMANENT STAFFING, REDUCE RELIANCE ON SUBSTITUTES FOR STRUCTURAL VACANCIES, AND RETURN, RETURN MORE SUITABLE CAPACITY TO DAILY AND EMERGENCY COVERAGE.
HR WILL CONTINUE EXAMINING WHERE POSITION STRUCTURES OR SCHEDULING PATTERNS CREATE RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES WHILE STRENGTHENING THE PIPELINE FROM CANDIDATE ELIGIBILITY THROUGH ONBOARDING INTO PERMANENT EMPLOYMENT.
THE OBJECTIVE IS TO USE OUR WORKFORCE RESIS - RESOURCES STRATEGICALLY SO THAT RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND SUBSTITUTE COVERAGE ALL CONTRIBUTE TO THE GREATER CLASS- CLASSROOM EVE - STABILITY.
SO OUR NEXT RECOMMENDATION IS RECOMMENDATION FOUR, WHICH IS TO STRENGTHEN OUTREACH AND MARKETING TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT IN OUR EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAMS. SO AS WE LOOK FOR NEW AND CREATIVE
[00:15:01]
WAYS TO SHARE OUR PROGRAM WITH FAMILIES AND INCREASE ENROLLMENT IN OUR EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAMS, WE'VE ENCOURAGED CENTERS TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO HIGHLIGHT THE EXPERIENCES AND OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN OUR EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS. SOCIAL MEDIA PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE WHAT HAPPENS IN CLASSROOMS, OUTDOOR SPACES, FAMILY EVENTS, AND DAILY LEARNING ACTIVITIES IN THE CLASSROOM, WHILE ALSO MAKING IT EASIER FOR FAMILIES TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING AND SHARE THOSE EXPERIENCES WITH FAMILY MEMBERS AND RELATIVES.SO A GREAT EXAMPLE THAT I'M GONNA SHARE WITH YOU THIS MORNING IS JENNIFER MOVSESIAN, PRINCIPAL AT PACOIMA EARLY EDUCATION CENTER, WHO HAS REALLY WORKED CREATIVELY TO ADDRESS ENROLLMENT CHALLENGES AT HER CENTER OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
JENNIFER BEGAN CREATING ENGAGING INSTAGRAM POSTS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE CHILDREN'S LEARNING EXPERIENCES, ACTIVITIES, AND WELCOMING ENVIRONMENTS AT PACOIMA EARLY EDUCATION CENTER.
THESE POSTS GIVE PROSPECTIVE FAMILIES A GLIMPSE INTO THE PROGRAM WHILE ALSO ALLOWING CURRENT ENROLLED FAMILIES TO SHARE THESE EXPERIENCES WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND NETWORKS.
SO THE OUTREACH HAS CONTRIBUTED TO PACOIMA ALMOST REACHING 100% ENROLLMENT.
SO WHEN JENNIFER RECEIVES A CALL FROM AN INTERESTED FAMILY, IF THAT FAMILY IS NOT IN HER AREA, SHE THEN SUPPORTS THE FAMILY IN FINDING AN EARLY EDUCATION CENTER OR A CSPP PROGRAM NEAR THEIR ADDRESS OR NEAR THEIR WORK TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THAT FAMILY.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SHARE TWO OF JENNIFER'S POSTS AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW AUTHENTIC FAMILY-FRIENDLY STORYTELLING CAN HELP US COMMUNICATE THE VALUE OF OUR PROGRAMS, STRENGTHEN CONNECTIONS WITH FAMILIES, AND SUPPORT ENROLLMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.
SCHOOL PARENTS, YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS.
MOMMY, I COME TO YOUR FRIENDS.
HOW OLD DO YOU THINK YOUR TEACHER IS?.
SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE POSTS THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU TO SEE HOW SH - CREATIVE SHE IS.
SHE HAS ALSO SHARED WHAT SHE DOES WITH OTHER PRINCIPALS WHO ARE NOW FOLLOWING SUIT AND ARE DOING SOME OF, SOME OF THE SIMILAR POSTINGS AND SHARING WITH FAMILIES.
UM, THE NEXT RECOMMENDA - THE SAME...
ALONG THE SAME LINES OF THE SAME RECOMMENDATION IS I WANNA SHARE SOME OF THE NEW GUIDELINES ABOUT ENROLLMENT IN OUR EARLY EDUCATION CENTER.
SO WE ARE PRIORITIZING SERVING MORE TWO AND THREE-YEAR-OLDS, BUT NOW LOCAL EDUCATIONAL ED - AGENCY EMPLOYEES NOW QUALIFY TO ENROLL IN OUR EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAMS. SO ANYBODY FOR...
FROM ANY LEA, WORKING IN ANY LEA CAN QUALIFY TO ENROLL IN OUR PROGRAMS IN THE ENROLLMENT ORDER, RIGHT? IN THE ELIGIBILITY LIST ORDER.
SO FIRST, UM, THE LOWEST INCOME FAMILIES COME FIRST, BUT THEN ANY ADDITIONAL SLOTS CAN BE FILLED, UM, IN THAT ORDER AS WELL.
ALSO, ANYBODY LIVING WITHIN THE LAUSD BOUNDARIES OR WORKING WITH LAUSD BOUNDARIES NOW QUALIFIES TO ENROLL IN OUR PROGRAMS AS WELL, REGARDLESS OF THEIR INCOME, WHICH IS GREAT.
SO WE ARE SHARING THIS WITH OUR EMPLOYEES.
WE ARE DOING A LUNCH AND LEARN ON OCTOBER 2ND FOR THE EMPLOYEES AT BEAUDRY.
WE DID THIS LAST YEAR, UM, BUT THIS IS EXCITING NEWS.
THESE, THESE ARE EITHER FREE OR LOW COST SERVICES.
THEY'RE FREE IF THEY QUALIFY FOR FREE OR THEY'RE LOW COST, UM, BASED ON THEIR INCOME.
THE FEE IS ALL BASED ON INCOME AND FAMILY SIZE.
WE ARE ALSO GOING TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT TO OUR EMPLOYEES OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THROUGH AN EMAIL TO MAKE EVERYBODY AWARE OF IT.
WE HAVE IT POSTED ON THE VARIOUS FLOORS IN BEAUDRY, AND WE ARE ALSO SHARING IT AT THE MEETINGS THAT WE ATTEND.
WE ARE ALSO SHARING IT WITH OUR LABOR PARTNERS WHO WILL BE SHARING IT ON THEIR WEBSITES, UM, SO THAT EVERYBODY IS AWARE.
RECOMMENDATION NUMBER FIVE IS TO IMPLU - IMPROVE CLARITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME FROM THIS COMMITTEE, UM, LOOKING AT THE PROGRAMS THAT WE SERVE AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SUPPORT FAMILIES IN UNDERSTANDING THE PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER.
SO THIS HERE SH - THESE TWO FLYERS SHOW WHAT WE OFFER IN EARLY EDUCATION.
WE HAVE INFANT PROGRAMS, IT TALKS ABOUT THE AGE
[00:20:01]
OF THOSE STUDENTS, THE HOURS, UM, AND THEN THERE'S ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.IT TALKS ABOUT OUR EARLY EDUCATION CENTERS, WHICH ARE OPEN YEAR-ROUND FROM 70 TO 5:30, OUR STATE PRESCHOOL, WHICH ARE ON ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES, WHICH FOLLOW THE ELEMENTARY CAMPUS, UM, CALENDAR, AND ARE TYPICALLY OPEN FROM 8:00 TO 2:30, AND THEN OUR TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN.
SO THIS IS LINKED IN THE PRESENTATION AS WELL AS WE, UM, HAVE IT POSTED FOR SCHOOLS AND FOR FAMILIES.
ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME OUT OF THIS COMMITTEE IS TO BE ABLE TO, AS PARENTS ARE ENROLLING THEIR CHILDREN IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THEY HAVE YOUNGER STUDENTS, TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH THEM WHERE THE CLOSEST EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM OR CSPP PROGRAM IS IN RELATION TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO WE'VE CREATED THESE FLYERS FOR PRINCIPALS TO BE ABLE TO POST WITH THE CLOSEST CENTER, UM, NEAR THEIR CENTER FOR FAMILIES.
WE'VE ALSO, UM, CREATED THESE WHICH ARE LINKED ON OUR WEBSITE, AND THEY'RE ALSO LINKED IN THIS POWERPOINT FOR YOU SO THAT FAMILIES THAT ARE LOOKING FOR PROGRAMS IN DIFFERENT AREAS CAN SEE THE ADDRESS IF YOU CLICK ON THEM.
UM, IT'LL TAKE YOU TO THE WEBSITE.
WE'VE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED WHICH ONES ARE ALREADY NATURE EXPLORER PR- PROGRAMS AND WHICH ONES OFFER THE DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS IN OUR EARLY EDUCATION CENTERS.
SO WE HAVE IT FOR EACH REGION, AND THESE ARE POSTED ON THE PRINCIPAL'S PORTAL AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, RECOMMENDATION NUMBER SIX IS THAT WE CONTINUE EXPANDING ACCESS TO PROGRAMS SERVING TWO-YEAR-OLDS.
TWO-YEAR-OLDS HAVE GREATLY INCREASED OUR ENROLLMENT AT OUR CENTERS.
SO WITH THAT, WHEN WE STARTED...
WELL, WE STARTED IN JULY, BUT IN AUGUST, WE HAD 1,454 TWO-YEAR-OLDS, AND IN S - ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, WE HAD 1,672 YEAR OLDS.
THIS IS GREATER THAN THE NUMBER WE HAD LAST YEAR.
SO THIS IS OUR THIRD YEAR OF IMPLEMENTING TWO-YEAR-OLDS THAT DO NOT HAVE TO BE TOILET TRAINED TO ENTER OUR PROGRAMS, SO THE WORD IS GETTING OUT THAT THESE SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE, THAT THESE PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE FOR FAMILIES.
WE STILL HAVE SPACE, SO THIS REPRESENTS A 15% INCREASE, UM, IN ENROLLMENT FOR OUR TWO-YEAR-OLD STUDENTS.
WITH ENROLLING TWO-YEAR-OLD SENTENCE...
UM, TWO-YEAR-OLD SENTENCE, TWO-YEAR-OLD STUDENTS, YOU CAN IMAGINE THE IMPACT, THE SHIFT THAT IT HAS CHANGED AT OUR CENTERS FOR STAFF.
SO WE'VE PROVIDED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TARGETED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS, FOR OUR TEACHER ASSISTANTS, AND FOR OUR PRINCIPALS ON SUPPORTING TWO-YEAR-OLDS AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING...
THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF ONE OF THE TRAININGS THAT WE DID, WHERE WE REALLY FOCUS ON THE NEEDS OF THOSE TWO-YEAR-OLD STUDENTS.
THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THREE AND FOUR-YEAR-OLDS.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE TWO-YEAR-OLDS? GETTING CLOSE TO HAVING TWO-YEAR-OLDS? YES, SO THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THOSE THREE AND FOUR-YEAR-OLDS.
SO WE REALLY FOCUS ON THE FACT THAT THEY NEED TO BE MOVING AROUND.
IT'S REALLY ABOUT EXPLORING THEIR ENVIRONMENT.
THE STAFF MEMBERS SERVE AS SOMEONE THAT'S ABLE TO SUPPORT THEM IN INTERACTING WITH THEIR PEERS, IN USING MATERIALS APPROPRIATELY, IN DEVELOPING THEIR LANGUAGE, BY ASKING THEM QUESTIONS, BY SUPPORTING THEM.
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT'S HAPPENING? WHAT'S HAPPENING? LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DO THIS.
SO THEY'RE REALLY THERE TO SUPPORT THROUGH THEIR EXPLORATION AND THEIR PLAY WITHIN THE CLASSROOM.
AND THEN THIS ALSO SHOWS WHAT A TWO-YEAR-OLD'S DAY CONSISTS OF.
WE KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE STABLE, PREDICTABLE ROUTINES.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THEY GO THROUGH THE SAME EXPERIENCES ON A DAILY BASIS.
EVERYTHING HAPPENS THROUGH IN PLAY, THROUGH PLAY, BUT IT'S NOT RECESS PLAY, IT'S INTENTIONAL PLAY.
THE AREAS ARE SET UP, THE MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED, DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE MATERIALS ARE PRO- PROVIDED, SO STUDENTS CAN ENGAGE AND STAFF CAN SUPPORT THEM IN THEIR LEARNING.
UM, REALLY LOOKING AT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS.
CHILDREN QUICKLY PICK UP ONE PERSON IN THAT CLASSROOM THAT THEY REALLY, REALLY...
THAT THEY CONNECT WITH, AND IT'S REALLY CONTINUING TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE ADULTS IN THE CLASSROOM, AS WELL AS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR PEERS, TEACHING THEM HOW TO PLAY WITH EACH OTHER, HOW TO COMMUNICATE WHEN SOMEBODY TAKES SOMETHING FROM YOU OR WHEN SOMEBODY WANT...
YOU WANT TO USE A TOY THAT SOMEONE HAS.
SO IT'S REALLY SUPPORTING THEM AND BEING ABLE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE ANGRY? WHAT SHOULD WE DO WHEN WE'RE ANGRY? SO IT'S REALLY THAT ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT THAT'S PROVIDED TO THE STUDENTS AS THEY'RE EXPLORING AND REALLY WORKING ON THAT LANGUAGE-RICH, UM, CLASSROOM.
RECOMMENDATION NUMBER SEVEN WAS SUPPORTING EARLY LEARNING THROUGH PLAY-BASED AND STEM-FOCUSED INITIATIVES.
[00:25:01]
ATTENDED THE...ALL THE STEAM, UM, EVENTS, FESTIVALS THROUGHOUT THE REGION LAST YEAR, THROUGHOUT THE REGIONS LAST YEAR, AND WE ALSO DO THIS IN OUR CLASSROOMS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE DID AT THE STEAM EVENTS, AS WELL AS ON THE BOTTOM, CHILDREN ARE EXPLORING IN THE GARDEN AT ONE OF THE CENTERS.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR ROLLY-PULLIES, THEY'RE LOOKING AT HOW PLANTS ARE GROWING.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE, UM, IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT-HAND CORNER, THEY'RE REALLY STU - CHILDREN ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT BUGS.
SO THEY REALLY LIKE TO DIG FOR BUGS AND LOOK AT BUGS.
UM, SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING OUTSIDE IN OUR CENTERS IS THE SAME THAT YOU'RE SEEING INSIDE, AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION SO THAT STUDENTS HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN OUTSIDE AS WELL.
AND THEN HERE YOU CAN SEE, AGAIN, FOCUSING ON RECOMMENDATION NUMBER SEVEN, LOOKING AT THAT STEAM.
SO WE HAVE INTENTIONALLY, WE ARE PART OF THE COUNT, PLAY, EXPLORE GRANT, AND WE REALLY FOCUS ON THOSE STEAM ACTIVITIES.
WE PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO TEACHERS AND ASSISTANTS AND OUR PRINCIPALS ON STEAM-RELATED ACTIVITIES THAT CAN BE DONE WITH OUR PRESCHOOL CHILDREN.
SO WE PROVIDE THEM OPPORTUNITIES, HANDS-ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUTSIDE TO EXPLORE, UM, NATURE AND SCIENCE, WORKING ON INSIDE THE CLASSROOM, CONSTRUCTING, BUILDING, AND LETTING THEM BE CREATIVE.
AND YOU CAN SEE ONE OF OUR POPULAR STUDIES THAT WE DO IS REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, AND ONE OF THE CULMINATING ACTIVITIES IS THAT CHILDREN MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF RECYCLED MATERIALS, AND IT'S ACTUALLY A FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, SO THEY MAKE IT WITH THEIR FAMILY, THEY BRING IT TO THE CENTER, THEY DISPLAY IT AT THE CENTER, AND THEN THEY DO A MUSEUM WALK, A GALLERY WALK, WHERE THEY WALK AROUND AND THEY SHARE WHAT THEY CREATED.
SO OUR STUDIES ALWAYS HAVE A CULMINATING ACTIVITY WHERE WE CAN INVOLVE AND ENGAGE FAMILIES TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE STUDENTS' LEARNING.
AND THEN RECOMMENDATION NUMBER EIGHT, SO...
WHICH IS EXPLORING COMMUNITY-BASED OUTREACH MODELS TO CONNECT FAMILIES WITH EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND SUPPORTS.
SO AS WE LOOK FOR WAYS TO BETTER SUPPORT FAMILIES AND KEEP...
AND STAY CONNECTED, WE'RE LOOKING AT DEVELOPING A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR EARLY LEARNING AND FAMILY RESOURCES.
WE'VE STARTED BY BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT SERVE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE LOS ANGELES AREA.
WE'VE MET WITH KAISER PERMANENTE, CEDARS-SINAI, ALTAMED, JUST TO NAME A FEW, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS, WHAT WE DO IN OUR PROGRAMS, AND ALSO RESOURCES THAT HA - THEY HAVE AVAILABLE FOR OUR FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITIES, NOT ONLY FOR MEMBERS OF THEIR HEALTH PLANS, BUT ALSO FOR NON-MEMBERS.
IT'S AS SIMPLE AS, UH, BEING A CLICK AWAY.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, KAISER PERMANENTE HAS ONGOING WEBINARS AND HAS ONGOING CLASSES OR TRAININGS, WORKSHOPS THAT FAMILIES CAN TAKE BASED ON DIFFERENT, UM, INTERESTS THAT THE FAMILIES HAVE, AND IT IS JUST A CLICK AWAY.
SO WE ARE WORKING ON HOW DO WE SHARE THAT WITH FAMILIES? SO IT'S A TWO-WAY RELATIONSHIP, WHAT THEY CAN SHARE WITH US FOR OUR FAMILIES TO SUPPORT OUR FAMILIES, AND THEN WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT AS WELL.
AND WE'VE ASKED THEM TO ALSO SHARE OUR INFORMATION WITH THEIR EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS, UM, WITH THEIR, UM, WITH FAMILIES THAT VISIT THEIR CLINICS.
SO I'D LIKE TO UPDATE YOU A LITTLE BIT ON OUR ENROLLMENT IN OUR EARLY EDUCATION CENTER.
CURRENTLY, AS YOU LOOK AT THIS SLIDE, THIS IS OUR 2627, UM, TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN AND PRESCHOOL ENROLLMENT.
SO IN AUGUST 15TH, WE STARTED, WE ENDED UP WITH 25,353 STUDENTS.
THE BLUE REPRESENTS OUR TK STUDENTS.
THE GREEN IS OUR EARLY EDUCATION AND CSPP PROGRAMS, AND THE ORANGE IS OUR STUDENTS THAT HAVE IEPS, OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION POPULATION.
SO AS OF SEPTEMBER 15TH, WE HAVE 15,030 TK STUDENTS ENROLLED IN LAUSD, 9,745 STUDENTS ENROLLED IN EECS AND CSPPS, AND 2,540 STUDENTS WITH IEPS.
SO WE OFFER PCC PROGRAMS AT OUR EARLY EDUCATION CENTERS AND OUR EECS, WHICH IS A PRESCHOOL COLLABORATIVE CLASSROOM WHERE STUDENTS WITH IEPS LEARN WITH THEIR TYPICAL PEERS.
WE OFFER THE SAME THING IN OUR TK CLASSROOMS, WHICH WE CALL TKCC, SO WE'RE ABLE TO SUPPORT, UM, STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.
SO THAT REPRESENTS AN 8% GROWTH, UM, FOR THE MONTH OF...
THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS OUR PRESCHOOL ENROLLMENT AND THE CAPACITY BY REGION.
SO WE HAVE 12,127 SLOTS AVAILABLE IN OUR EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM.
THIS IS REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR EECS AND OUR PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS AT OUR ELEMENTARY, UM, SCHOOLS.
SO YOU CAN SEE IN REGION EAST, THEY ARE AT 77%.
[00:30:01]
LEADING THE WAY AT 87%, REGION SOUTH 78%, REGION WEST, 80%.AND AS A DISTRICT-WIDE, WE ARE AT, CURRENTLY AT 80%.
I DO WANNA SAY THAT 80% AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR, WE WERE NOT AT 80%.
WE WERE AT A LOWER PERCENTAGE, SO I WANNA COMMEND OUR EARLY EDUCATION PRINCIPALS, OUR STAFF, UM, FOR THEIR RECRUITMENT, THEIR RECRUITING EFFORTS AND ALL THE WORK THEY'RE DOING TO MAINTAIN ENROLLMENT AND GET TO THAT GOAL OF 100% ENROLLMENT.
SO WE DO HAVE 2,382, UM, SPOTS AVAILABLE, SO WE ARE STILL ENROLLING.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS.
NEXT, THIS IS A COMPARISON OF OUR 2526 AND 2627 PRESCHOOL ENROLLMENT.
SO THIS REPRESENTS EECS AND OUR PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS AT OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT JULY OF LAST YEAR, WHICH IS THE GRAY, WE HAD SEVEN THOU - 7,800 STUDENTS, WHICH IN, UM, JULY OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR, WE HAD 8,500 STUDENTS.
AND THEN AUGUST, WE HAD SEVEN, 7,200 STUDENTS LAST SCHOOL YEAR, AND THIS YEAR, 8,700.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE INCREASE, WHICH IS A 20% INCREASE.
AND THEN CURRENTLY WE HAVE 9,700, 9,745 STUDENTS, WHICH IS A 45% INCREASE FROM SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR TO SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
AND NEXT, THIS IS JUST A COMPARISON OF OUR EARLY EDUCATION ENROLLMENT.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY AT 9,745.
BETWEEN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, WE HAVE INCREASED BY 977 STUDENTS.
AND ONE THING THAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT OUR EARLY EDUCATION CENTERS AND CSPP PROGRAMS IS THAT IT'S ONGOING ENROLLMENT.
TYPICALLY, OUR CENTERS START TO FILL UP IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY IN JULY AND AUGUST.
UM, SO WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND WE CONTINUE TO ENROLL.
NEXT, I'D LIKE TO SHARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS.
UM, I WAS ABLE TO, UH, WRITE AN ARTICLE WITH DR.
BYERSDORF, UM, CASINA GAITHER OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND DR.
NAVA OF HUMAN RESOURCES HIGHLIGHTING THE WORK THAT BOTH DEPARTMENTS HAVE DONE AND CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER FOR OUR EARLY EDUCATION MICRO-CREDENTIAL, WHICH IS AVAILABLE TO, UM, TEACHERS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
LAST SATURDAY, THEY HAD THEIR FIRST, UM, MEETING FOR THE EARLY EDUCATION MICRO-CREDENTIAL.
AND THEN WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON BUILDING OUR LEADERSHIP CAPACITY WITH OUR PRINCIPALS.
SO WE HAVE PRINCIPALS LEADING PRINCIPALS.
SO THESE ARE OUR THREE PRINCIPALS.
WE HAVE, UM, JESSICA ROBLES, WHO IS OUR PRINCIPAL FROM BROOKLYN EARLY EDUCATION CENTER.
WE HAVE OUR PRINCIPAL FROM ROSEMONT AND OUR PRINCIPAL FROM ALEXANDRIA, UM, WHO ARE ALL LEADING OUR TWO-YEAR-OLD TRAININGS WITH OUR TEACHERS, OUR ASSISTANTS, AND OUR PRINCIPALS.
THEY ARE, WE ARE CALLING THEM OUR TWO-YEAR-OLD EXPERTS.
WE ALSO CREATED A TWO-YEAR-OLD FOCUS GROUP TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND BEST PRACTICES TO OUR CENTERS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT WITH TOILETING TWO-YEAR-OLDS AND WITH THE ENROLLMENT AND THE TRANSITION OF USING THE CURRICULUM WITH OUR TWO-YEAR-OLD STUDENTS.
SO NEXT, I'D LIKE TO INVITE UP ERIN CAMPBELL TO PRESENT ON OUR SUPPORTS FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
I'M THE ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR FOR STUDENT SUPPORT PROGRAMS. TODAY, I WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT THE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS FOR OUR STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THROUGH OUR HOMELESS EDUCATION OFFICE.
THE HOMELESS EDUCATION OFFICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR RE- REMOVING BARRIERS TO ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND REGULAR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
A STATUS OF HOMELESSNESS IS DEFINED UNDER MCKINNEY-VENTO ASSISTANCE ACT AS ANY SCHOOL-AGED YOUTH WHO LACKS A FIXED, REGULAR, AND ADEQUATE NIGHTTIME RESIDENCE.
THE FIRST ONE, FIXED, IS DEFINED AS A LOCATION THAT IS STATIONARY, PERMANENT, AND NOT SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, A CAR WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED FIXED.
THIS APPLIES TO A LOCATION THAT IS USED ON A NORMAL, STANDARD, AND CONSISTENT BASIS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF A FAMILY IS ALLOWED TO STAY AT A LOCATION ONLY FOR A LIMITED TIME, THIS WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A REGULAR LOCATION.
THIS APPLIES TO A LOCATION THAT MEETS A PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS THAT WOULD REGULARLY BE AVAILABLE IN A HOME.
FOR EXAMPLE, A LOCATION THAT IS LACKING ELECTRICITY, PLUMBING WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AN ADEQUATE LOCATION.
LAUSD SUPPORTS WITH THE ANNUAL IDENTIFICATION OF STUDENTS EXPERIENCING
[00:35:01]
HOMELESSNESS.FAMILIES SELF-IDENTIFY THROUGH THE STUDENT HOUSING QUESTIONNAIRE.
THE QUALIFICATION OF AN EX - AS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IS BASED ON THE NIGHTTIME RESIDENTS ON THE STUDENT HOUSING QUESTIONNAIRE.
THESE LOCATIONS INCLUDE BEING DOUBLED UP.
THIS IS THE RESULT OF AN ECONOMIC HARDSHIP OR LOSS OF HOUSING IN WHICH A FAMILY MAY NEED TO BE DOUBLED UP WITH ANOTHER FAMILY OR FRIEND.
SHELTERED, STAYING IN A SHELTER WAS, WHICH IS INCLUSIVE OF A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER OR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM.
THIS IS INCLUSIVE OF FAMILIES LIVING IN A CAR, AT A CAMPGROUND, AT A PARK, IN A BUS, TRAIN STATION, OR ANY LOCATION WHICH IS CONSIDERED SUBSTANDARD HOUSING.
THEN THERE IS A MOTEL OR HOTEL.
THIS IS WHEN A FAMILY LACKS ADEQUATE HOUSING AND THEY MAY TEMPORARY LIVE IN A MOTEL OR HOTEL.
SO WHEN OUR FAMILIES IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, IT UNLOCKS CERTAIN RIGHTS, SERVICES AND SUPPORTS, ADVOCACY AND ENROLLMENT ASSISTANCE.
LAUSD REQUIRES SPECIFIC DOCUMENTS AND VERIFICATIONS FOR THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS.
FOR FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, MCKENNEY-VENTO ASSURES THE MEDIAN ENROLLMENT OF STUDENTS DESPITE THE LACK OF DOCUMENTATION.
ADDITIONALLY, THE HOMELESS EDUCATION OFFICE, SPECIALIZED STUDENT SERVICES PROGRAM, AND THE DESIGNATED SCHOOL HOMELESS LIAISONS PROVIDE ADVOCACY FOR THE STUDENTS' EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS.
BASIC NEEDS SUPPLIES TO ENGAGE THEM IN SCHOOL.
STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS HAVE ACCESS TO BACKPACKS, SCHOOL SUPPLY, HYGIENE KITS AND CLOTHING, AND THIS HELPS PROMOTE REGULAR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND ENGAGEMENT.
ALL STUDENTS IN LAUS - L - IN LA UNS - LAUSD ARE PROVIDED ACCESS TO A TAP CARD FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
FOR STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THEY HAVE ADDITIONAL ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION SERVICES SUCH AS A TAP CARD FOR THE PARENTS OR GUARDIANS OF STUDENTS WHO ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 12, AND THEY ALSO MAY ACCESS LAUSD BUS SERVICES WHEN AVAILABLE.
LASTLY, STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IDENTIFIED AS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ARE PROVIDE LINKAGES AND REFERRALS TO RESOURCES TO OUR PARTNERS WHO ARE PROVIDING BASIC NEED AND HOUSING SERVICES.
NOW I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE DATA AS IT RELATES TO OUR STUDENTS IN THE EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAMS. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE'S AN ANNUAL IDENTIFICATION OF STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
THIS IS A YEAR LONG PROCESS AS STUDENT OR FAMILY HOUSING STATUS MAY CHANGE AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.
TO PROVIDE CONTEXT, AT THE END OF THE 25 - ' 26 SCHOOL YEAR, WE HAD OVER 16,000 STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
OF THOSE, 327 WERE IN OUR EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM.
THE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS INCLUDES THE ANNUAL DISTRIBUTION OF FORMS BY SCHOOLS AND OUTREACH TO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THE PRIOR SCHOOL YEAR.
TO DATE, THERE ARE 152 STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE EARLY EDUCATION SITES IDENTIFIED AS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND WE EXPECT AS THE YEAR PROGRESSES AND OUTREACH AND CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE THAT WE WILL SEE AN INCREASE IN THIS NUMBER.
THANK YOU AND I TURN IT BACK TO MS. AMASQUITA.
SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION FOR THIS MORNING.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? GREAT.
AND I'LL JUST START BY SAYING KUDOS ON THE IMPROVED NUMBERS AND THANKS FOR GOING IN DETAIL TO ALL, UM, THROUGH ALL THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
MS. GONEZ, DO YOU WANNA START WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR YOU WANT ME TO JUST TAKE - I CAN GO AT THE END IF YOU WANNA CALL ON FOLKS IN THE, IN THE ROOM.
SO QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, REBUTTALS, ANYBODY? UH, YEAH, WE'LL START WITH MONICA AND THEN WE CAN GO.
SO, UM, AS FOR THE FOUR HOURS THAT WE WERE SPEAKING OF THE STAFF THAT HAS THE FOUR HOUR POSITIONS, UH, WE WERE BEING TOLD THAT THOSE POSITIONS WERE GONNA BE CLOSING AND SOME STAFF HAVE...
ACTUALLY TODAY I JUST GOT A PHONE CALL THIS MORNING THAT ONE OF A STAFF MEMBER SAID THAT SHE GOT HER HOURS TAKEN AWAY AND NOW SHE'S GOT SENT BACK TO THE SUB POOL.
SO IF THOSE HOURS AND THOSE POSITIONS ARE GONNA BE CLOSED, HOW IS THAT GONNA AFFECT THE EECS? SO I WAS REFERRING TO THE CERTIFICATED POSITIONS, THE FOUR HOUR TEACHER POSITIONS.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? NO, ACTUALLY CLASSIFIED.
UM, I, I DIDN'T BRING CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME MOVEMENT OF CLASSIFIED STAFF.
SO WHAT WE ARE DOING IS AS POSITIONS BECOME VACANT, WE'RE NOT FILLING THOSE POSITIONS UNLESS THE SCHOOL IS AT 80% OR HIGHER BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO, UM, RESERVE OUR FUNDING, RIGHT? SO WHAT...
SO AS A POSITION BECOMES VACANT, IF IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN RATIOS AT THAT TIME,
[00:40:01]
WE WILL NOT FILL IT UNTIL IT'S NECESSARY TO FILL IT FOR THE RATIOS.IT WON'T BE CLOSED PERMANENTLY.
THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL PRESENTATION, UM, UPDATE ON THE, THE THINGS THAT WE DISCUSSED THAT YOU ALL HAD BEEN WORKING ON AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE ENROLLMENT HAS INCREASED IN ALL AREAS.
AND, UH, THE QUESTION I HAVE NOW, UM, FOR THE SCHOOLS WHO ARE LIKE UNDER 80%, DO WE HAVE LIKE, UH, SOMETHING LIKE IN A PLAN TO INCREASE THOSE SCHOOLS WHO ARE UNDER THE 80% TO BRING THEM UP, UM, TO HAVE A BETTER ENROLLMENT? SO THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
WE ARE WORKING WITH THE PRINCIPALS AT THOSE SITES TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEM WITH IDEAS TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT.
EVERY COMMUNITY IS UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT.
SO SOME OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WE ARE USING, SOME OF THEM DON'T HAVE WEB...
WELL, THEIR WEBSITES AREN'T VERY, AREN'T ACTIVE.
THEY DON'T HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA, SO WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTING THEM WITH CREATING SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND DOING, USING SOCIAL MEDIA, LOOKING AT PUTTING OUR FLYERS IN THE LIBRARY, IN COMMU - IN DIFFERENT, UM, BUSINESSES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, AND LOOKING AT EXPANDING OUR CANVASING TO WITHIN TWO OR THREE MILES OF THE CENTER.
WE DO HAVE AN ENROLLMENT FOCUS GROUP THAT WE WILL, WE WILL BE RE, UM, OPENING AGAIN TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR FAM - OUR SCHOOLS THAT ARE AT LESS THAN 80%.
AND THE NEXT QUESTION I HAVE, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE THE FOCUS GROUP, YOU WILL INCLUDE WHO WOULD BE A PART OF THE FOCUS GROUP? SO LAST TIME WHEN WE DID THE FOCUS GROUP, WHICH WAS, OH, I WANNA SAY TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, WHAT WE DID WAS WE HAD THE PRINCIPAL COME AND WE HAD THEM BRING ONE STAFF MEMBER OF THEIR CHOICE.
UM, SO IT W - IT'S REALLY BASED ON THE PRINCIPAL AND WHO THEY COULD RELEASE AT THAT TIME TO COME.
AND WE MET EVERY OTHER WEEK AND WE TALKED ABOUT STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING ENROLLMENT WHERE FAM - WHERE PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS, THERE WERE TEACHERS ON IT, THERE WERE AIDES, THERE WERE OFFICE MANAGERS, AND THE PRINCIPALS, AND WHAT THEY DID WAS SHARE STRATEGIES OF WHAT WAS WORKING FOR THEM.
AND I THINK IT'S ALSO, UM, VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL PARTNERS INCLUDED BECAUSE THEY BRING SO MUCH MORE TO, UH, HAVING THE PROCESS DONE CORRECTLY RATHER THAN JUST THE PRINCIPAL PICKING AND CHOOSING.
HAVE A VARIETY OF, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHERS, UH, THAT WORK AT THE SCHOOL SITE THAT CAN GIVE GREAT INPUT AS WELL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALL THE GREAT WORK AND MOVING FORWARD THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, FROM THE LAST, UM, ACADEMIC YEAR.
I HAD A QUESTION, UM, THAT'S EXCITING ABOUT THE PLAY-BASED AND STEM FOCUSED WORK THAT'S HAPPENING.
UM, IS THAT JUST AT THE EARLY ED CENTERS OR IS THAT ALSO HAPPENING IN TK? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL IN TK TO HAVE A FOCUS ON PLAY-BASED STEM, YOU KNOW, OUTDOOR LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, AND JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF THAT'S ALL ALSO HAPPENING WITH THE TK AND IF THAT'S INCLUDED.
I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT TK, SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
SO THE WAY WE SUPPORT OUR TK TEACHERS, WE KNOW EVERYBODY CAN'T COME ON SATURDAYS, SO WE DO THIS WITH OUR EARLY EDUCATION CENTER EMPLOYEES AS WELL.
UM, WE DO BANKED TUESDAY TRAININGS, AND WE CALL THEM BITE-SIZE PDS.
SO WE TAKE 45 MINUTE, UM, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
WE PROVIDE IT TO OUR TK - IT'S OPEN TO TK CSPP BECAUSE THEY, UM, ARE FREE AT THAT TIME WITH THEIR INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANCE, UM, AND THEY GET THE SAME PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT WE DO ON SATURDAYS OR THAT WE DO DURING THE WEEK WITH OUR EARLY EDUCATION CENTERS JUST IN SMALLER CHUNKS.
SO WE OFFER THEM TWICE A MONTH, AND THEY ARE ON TUESDAYS, AND THEY ARE ABOUT 45 MINUTES.
SO WE FOCUS ON OUR CPE, OUR STEAM, OUR PLAY-BASED, WE FOCUS ON ENVIRONMENTS.
UM, AND THEN ALSO WOULD BE GREAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE INCREASE IN, UM, INFANT AND TODDLER, UM, EXPANSION, AND I WOULD LOVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE BETA THREE RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED RECENTLY AND AN UPDATE ON THAT SINCE IT'S SUCH A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET MORE ENROLLMENT AND THEN HAVING CHILDREN STAY, UM, IN THE DISTRICT.
UM, IT'D BE GREAT TO SEE WHERE THINGS ARE WITH THAT.
YES, AND WE WILL BE RELEASING THAT SOON, AND WHEN IT'S RELEASED, WE'LL BE POSTING IT ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS SIDE? GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IT'S A LOT OF WORK HAPPENING, SO APPRECIATION.
I HAVE SEVERAL COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.
[00:45:01]
SITTING WITH THE 152 PRESCHOOL STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND CURIOUS ABOUT, AS THIS IS SELF-IDENTIFICATION, HOW THE TEACHERS AND OTHER STAFF ARE BROUGHT ON TO SUPPORT.LIKE, AS I WAS ENROLLING MY CHILD, THERE'S A LOT OF FORMS AND, LIKE, I LIKE HOW YOU PRESENT IT.
IT'S LIKE IT UNLOCKS SEVERAL SERVICES.
LIKE HOW CLEAR ARE WE IN THE PROCESS? SO I WANNA HOLD BECAUSE I WANNA SHARE THE OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE I FORGET THEM.
SO JUST WANTING TO UNDERSTAND THE TEAM-BASED WORK TO SUPPORT, UM, STUDENTS.
I REALLY LOVE THE DIFFERENT FAMILY-CENTERED MATERIALS THAT YOU SHARE THAT SHARES IN REGION NORTH.
THERE IS EARLY ED CENTERS HERE.
THESE ARE THE BI - UH, DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS. I HAVEN'T RECEIVED THEM AT MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SITE, AND I KNOW A LOT OF, LIKE, MY KIDS' CLASSMATES HAVE YOUNGER SIBLINGS, SO CURIOUS AS TO SEE, LIKE, THE ROLLOUT OF THESE, UH, MATERIALS TO FAMILIES.
AND THEN GOING BACK TO THE WORKFORCE PIECE, UM, I THINK IN LAST YEAR'S MEETINGS, WE DISCUSSED, LIKE, CAN WE GET A BREAKDOWN OF THE, LIKE, HOME LANGUAGE, UM, OF E- EDUCATORS IN THE SPACE TO SEE CULTURAL LANGUAGE, LIKE, AFFIRMATION, UH, OPPORTUNITIES? AND SO I KNOW THERE'S NUMBERS SHARED FOR HOURS, BUT I'M CURIOUS TO SEE THE MAKEUP AND HOW THAT ANALYSIS, IF IT HAS HAPPENED, IS INFORMING, UH, JUST, LIKE, INSTRUCTION AND CURRICULUM AND PD.
SO I'M GONNA CALL UP, UM, ERIN CAMPBELL TO TALK ABOUT THE HOMELESS QUESTION.
HI, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR QUESTION.
SO FOR THE, FOR THE IDENTIFICATION ONE, THERE'S AN ANNUAL IDENTIFICATION THAT HAPPENS.
SO THE FORM, WHICH IS CALLED THE H - STUDENT HOUSING QUESTIONNAIRE, IS DISTRIBUTED ANNUALLY.
IT'S INCLUDED IN ENROLLMENT PACKETS.
SO WHEN FAMILIES ENROLL, EVERY FAMILY COMPLETES IT.
I HAVE A CHILD WHO'S IN LUSD EVERY YEAR I RECEIVE THE FORM.
THERE ARE ALSO POSTERS UP THAT ARE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TO LETTING FAMILIES KNOW, "HEY, IF YOU...
THIS CIRCUMSTANCE APPLIES TO YOU, YOU'RE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THESE ARE YOUR RIGHTS, AND THIS IS HOW YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF." WE ALSO HAVE HOMELESS LIAISONS IDENTIFIED AT EVERY SCHOOL SITE IN LUSD, INCLUDING OUR EARLY EDUCATION SITES.
THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR ADVOCATING FOR EDUCATING THOSE AT THE SCHOOL SITE ABOUT THE RIGHTS AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND LASTLY, WE ALSO HAVE OUR SPECIALIZED STUDENT SERVICES PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES SUPPORTS TO OUR STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
SO THEY'LL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH STUDENTS, BECAUSE SOMETIMES A FAMILY WILL IDENTIFY THEMSELVES IN A PRIOR YEAR, BUT IN THE NEW YEAR, THEY DON'T IDENTIFY.
SO THEY'LL FOLLOW UP, CALL THEM AND SAY, "HEY, WHAT'S YOUR CIR- CIRCUMSTANCE RIGHT NOW? DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH ONE OF THESE, UM, NIGHTTIME RESIDENTS WOULD, WHICH WOULD QUALIFY YOU FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND SUPPORTS?" A FOLLOW-UP, THEN IT'S NOT LIKE A ONE-TIME AT ENROLLMENT, BUT THERE'S A CONTINUOUS PROCESS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UM, THEY DO IT AT ENROLLMENT AT ANY TIME THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE.
IT'S SOMETHING I HAD ALLUDED TO EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION IS THAT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE COULD CHANGE, YOU CAN BECOME HOUSED, OR YOU'RE, YOU CAN LOSE YOUR HOUSING AT ANY TIME.
SO FAMILIES ARE INFORMED IF YOUR STATUS CHANGES, YOU JUST HAVE TO COMPLETE A FORM.
WE ALSO HAVE STAFF AND THE TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOMS MAY HEAR FROM THE FAMILIES THEMSELVES SAYING, "SOMETHING HAPPENED.
I MIGHT HAVE LOST MY F - MY HOUSING.
I HAD TO COME AND LIVE WITH MY FAMILY MEMBERS." AND SO THEY CAN ALSO GUIDE THEM TO THE FORM THAT'S AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE TO COMPLETE.
I HAVE FOLLOW-UP POINTS AROUND THE LANGUAGE BREAKDOWN.
SO WE WILL PROVIDE THAT NEXT TIME.
WE DO HAVE THAT DATA AVAILABLE, SO WE WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE NEXT TIME.
WE'LL GO TO IVANA, AND THEN WE CAN...
THERE WAS AN ACRONYM THAT YOU USED WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, UM, ENROLLMENT FOR THE SPECIAL EDUCATION.
WHAT WAS THAT ACRONYM? DID I SAY PCC? PCC IS THE PRESCHOOL COLLABORATIVE CLASSROOM, AND CC IS COLLABORATIVE CLASSROOM.
WELL, THANK YOU, RENEE, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND TEAM.
UH, SO REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR JUST, LIKE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BEING TAKEN.
UH, WHEN I WAS HEARING ABOUT THE PLAY-BASED AND STEM FOCUSED, LOVE IT.
I'M CURIOUS ABOUT EARLY LITERACY AND HOW WE'RE, UM, IF THERE ARE ANY EARLY LITERACY INITIATIVES HAPPENING AT THE EARLY YEARS.
AND THEN THE SECOND ONE IS IF, UH, WE'RE OFFERING ANY SUPPORTS AT ALL OR WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR OUR STUDENTS WHO MIGHT BE CLASSIFIED AS EL STUDENTS ONCE THEY REACH TK.
SO EARLY LITERACY IS ALWAYS A FOCUS, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE OUR, OUR DISTRICT GOALS ALONG WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO WE FOC- FOCUS ON EARLY LITERACY, EARLY MATH, SEL, AND NOW WE'RE ADDING SCIENCE.
SO WE FOCUSED ON JUST THE STEAM-BASED AND THE PLAY-BASED, UM, BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, SO THAT'S WHY...
BUT WE ALWAYS HAVE EARLY LITERACY.
WE DO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON THAT AS WELL.
[00:50:02]
AND AS FAR AS EL SUPPORTS, ONCE THEY REACH TO TK, I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.QUESTIONS?
UM, ALWAYS APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATIONS.
THIS IS SO PERSONAL FOR SO MANY OF US.
WE'RE ALSO GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHOICES FAIRS, UM, IN PERSON AND ONLINE OVER THE CO - NEXT COUPLE OF, UM, DAYS, I THINK.
IS ECE AT THOSE CHOICES FAIRS? YES, WE DO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES AT THOSE.
YEAH, BECAUSE SO OFTEN, YOU KNOW, FAMILIES ARE THERE FOR THEIR OLDER SIBLINGS, BUT, UM, IDEALLY, YOU KNOW, WE CATCH THEM ON THERE TOO.
UM, AND A QUESTION ABOUT BUDGETS.
I APPRECIATE THAT WE ARE, UM, TRYING TO SAVE.
OBVIOUSLY, THE BOARD IS VERY CONCERNED LONG-TERM ABOUT THAT, BUT IS A SCHOOL SITE'S BUDGET ACTUALLY IMPACTED BY ENROLLMENT OR ARE THEY FUNDED AT FULL CAPACITY? LIKE, HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE? OKAY.
SO, UM, FOR YEARS, UM, WHEN A S...
WHEN WE START THE SCHOOL YEAR, THE EECS ARE GIVEN 50% OF THEIR BUDGET TO START SO THAT...
BECAUSE OUR BUDGETS IN OUR EARLY EDUCATION CENTERS ARE VERY SMALL, RIGHT? SO IT'S...
MIGHT BE 12,000, IT MIGHT BE 14,000.
SO IN ORDER NOT TO SPEND ALL OF THAT UPFRONT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE THE NECESSARY SUPPLIES TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR AS WELL.
WE DO FIFTY FIFTY, AND THEN THE SECOND HALF IS GIVEN IN JANUARY.
WHAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT IS WE GIVE THAT SECOND HALF ONCE THEY REACH 90%.
SO, UM, TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT WITH INCREASING ENROLLMENT, SO THEY WILL GET THEIR FULL BUDGET ONCE THEY GET TO 90%, BUT THEY START OUT WITH 50%.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY, IF A CENTER CALLS AND SAYS, "LOOK, I'M NOT AT 90% ENROLLMENT YET, BUT I NEED TO BUY TOILET PAPER, I NEED TO BUY PAPER TOWELS," WE DEFINITELY GIVE THEM THE MONEY.
UM, AND SO THEY'RE NOT BUDGETING AT ALL FOR STAFFING, THAT'S ALL HANDLED CENTRALLY? NO, THAT'S ALL HANDLED INTERNALLY AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
INCLUDING FOR, LIKE, THE PSW TREE PROGRAM, THAT'S ALL SEPARATE? THAT'S ALL DONE AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL.
UM, THAT'S INTERESTING, AND DIFFERENT FROM THE ELEMENTARY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL SPACE.
MY LAST QUESTION IS FOR MATTHEW, I THINK.
UM, LOVE THAT WE ARE PREPARING, UM, ADULT STUDENTS TO BECOME AIDES, BUT I WAS CURIOUS IF WE HAVE A PATHWAY FOR BECOMING TEACHERS.
UM, AND ONE QUESTION IS, HAVE WE DONE OR IS IT CONFLICTING TO DO DUAL ENROLLMENT, UM, WITH THE COLLEGES AT THE ADULT SCHOOLS OR, YOU KNOW, SORT OF HOW DO THEY GET THEIR DEGREES AFTER THEY GET THE AID CERTIFICATIONS? UM, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH COLLEGE, YOU KNOW, US OR, UM, UH, LIKE A DISTRICT DI PROGRAM.
I'M NOT SURE IF ANY OF THAT, LIKE, WHAT'S THE FULL PATHWAY TO GET TO TEACHER? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, UH, BOARD MEMBER ORTIZ-FRANKLIN.
UM, SO THERE ARE VERY STRICT, UM, RE- REGULATIONS ABOUT WHAT, UH, YOU NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO GET THOSE PERMITS.
IT STARTS WITH THE ONE THAT WE PROVIDE, WHICH IS THE ASSISTANT, AND THEN THERE'S AN ASSOCIATE, THEN IT GOES TO THE TEACHER PERMIT.
ALL OF THOSE ARE ISSUED, UH, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, THROUGH THE, UH, CALIFORNIA TEACHER FOR, FOR, UH, CALIFORNIA COMMISSION FOR TEACHER CREDENTIALING.
SO, UM, RIGHT NOW, ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THAT INITIAL ASSISTANT PERMIT.
HOWEVER, UM, TO YOUR POINT, WE ARE IN C - IN DISCUSSIONS WITH LA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT, AND WE HAVE INTEREST FROM TWO SCHOOLS TO CREATE ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS, WHICH WOULD ALLOW STUDENTS WHO GO THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS TO GET THE, UM, CREDITS FROM THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, WHICH WOULD THEN ALLOW THEM TO TRANSITION, UM, MORE QUICKLY AND SEAMLESSLY INTO THOSE NEXT LEVELS TO GET THE ASSOCIATE AND THEN THE TEACHER PERMIT.
AND I WONDER, I THINK WE DID SOMETHING FOR NURSING WHERE LA UNIFIED IS PROVIDING THE CREDENTIAL.
UH, THIS IS PROBABLY OUTSIDE OF DAYS, BUT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY WITH, UM, TALENT OR HR, IF THAT'S WHO'S DOING THE, UM, THE CREDENTIALING FOR THE NURSING.
AND I THINK WE ALSO HAD TO DO SOME ADVOCACY WITH MARTHA ALVAREZ'S OFFICE.
SO I'M JUST SORT OF THROWING THIS OUT THERE AS, LIKE, IF THERE'S A NEED, I THINK THERE'S A BIG INTEREST, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, TO, TO CONTINUE TO FULFILL THAT PIPELINE, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, PARALLELING IT WITH THE ENROLLMENT, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE RENEE HAS SOMETHING TO ADD.
YEAH, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MS. HANNAH, AND SHE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT - OKAY.
NEXT STEP IN THAT WORK WITH HR.
I'M GONNA PULL THE MICROPHONE REALLY LOW, BECAUSE THE...
I THINK IT'S STILL MORNING, EVERYBODY.
UM, I OVERSEE THE WEST REGION K-12 TA UNIT AND ALSO THE EARLY ED TEAM, UM, ON, IN THE BUILDING.
SO WE DO HAVE OUR TEACHER ASSISTANT
[00:55:01]
PROGRAMS, UM, THAT TEACHER ASSISTANTS ARE ON THE PATHWAY TO BECOMING TEACHERS, SO WE, THAT IS ONE PATHWAY.WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MICRO-CREDENTIALING EARLIER.
WE HAVE THAT PROGRAM ON, IN ONE OF OUR HR TEAMS IS, UM, MR. DR.
BIERSDORF IS, IS, UM, OVERSEEING THAT PROGRAM, BUT THAT IS USUALLY AN ADDED AUTHORIZATION TO AN EXISTING PERMIT OR CREDENTIAL THAT YOU HAVE.
WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR LOCAL UNIVERSITIES, CAL STATE LA, DOMINGUEZ, NORTHRIDGE, UM, LOYOLA.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH, UM, HELPING OUR, OUR TEACHERS, OUR TEACHER PATHWAY, INCREASING OUR TEACHER PATHWAY.
SO I GUESS A DIFFERENT WAY TO ASK THE QUESTION IS, ARE THERE ANY BARRIERS CURRENTLY ONCE SOMEONE STARTS WITH DACE, GETS THEIR ASSISTANT, UM, CERTIFICATION, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH, UM, LAUSD SUPPORT, CAN SOMEONE MAKE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO BEING A TEACHER, OR IS THERE ANY BARRIER OR NEED THAT, UM, ANY ADVOCACY SHOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, BE CALLED UPON TO, UH, HELP CLOSE THE LOOP HERE? IF, IF WE DON'T NEED IT, GREAT.
I THINK WE, WE ASSIST ANY CANDIDATES THAT ARE INTERESTED IN OUR WORKFORCE, AND IF THEIR PATHWAY IS GOING THROUGH THE DACE PROGRAM, WE WILL HELP THEM CONTINUE ON AND, AND ADVISE THEM HOW TO EARN THEIR FULL CERTIFICATIONS.
YEAH, CAROLYN, AND THEN I'LL ASK A QUESTION BEFORE MS. GUNES.
SORRY, I HAVE ONE MORE COMMENT ABOUT THE, UM, EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR STATE PRESCHOOL THAT HAPPENED THROUGH THE BUDGET.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, PRETTY MAJOR AND, UM, EXCITING.
AND SO IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE ALREADY PLANNING TO LET THE, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS AT THE LEA KNOW, AND THEN EVEN DISTRICT-WIDE.
SO IT'D BE GREAT TO GET UPDATES ON THE ENROLLMENT KIND OF THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO SEE HOW, HOW THOSE NUMBERS ARE MOVING AS A RESULT OF THAT EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY.
UH, AND THANKS TO THE COMMITTEE FOR GREAT QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS, AND KUDOS ON THE POSITIVE MOVEMENT.
UM, I GUESS A FEW QUESTIONS FROM ME.
I KNOW, UH, WE'VE ASKED THIS OF YOU TOO, BUT I THINK WHEN THE BUDGET, WHEN THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET CAME OUT AND THERE WAS THE INCREASED ELIGIBILITY FOR DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, SOME OF THE REPORTING OF IT SAID, AND THIS IS A DIRECT QUOTE FROM EDSOURCE, "THE BUDGET ALSO EXPANDS ELIGIBILITY, ALLOWING THE CHILDREN OF SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES TO AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFY FOR FREE PRESCHOOL." IS THAT SLOPPY REPORTING ON THEIR END? LIKE BECAUSE IS IT THE ELIGIBILITY THAT ALL EMPLOY - LIKE FOR, BECAUSE FOR LAUSD, THE LAST FEW YEARS, EVERYONE'S BEEN ELIGIBLE.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHETHER YOU HAVE TO PAY A FEE OR NOT.
I GUESS MY TWO QUESTIONS ARE FOR LAUSD, DOES THIS ACTUALLY CHANGE ANYTHING? AND THEN WHY ARE WE HEARING THAT IT'S FREE PRESCHOOL WHEN WE'RE SAYING THAT FOR EMPLOYEES' KIDS IT'S STILL BASED ON INCOME? WELL, IT'S FREE FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES THAT QUALIFY FOR FREE.
SO IT WAS ACTUALLY MIS - I DID CHECK WITH GOVERNMENT RELATIONS REGARDING THAT ARTICLE ACTUALLY, AND IT IS FREE FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES WHOSE INCOME QUALIFIES IT, THEM TO BE FREE, BUT IT'S NOT FREE DISTRICT WIDE FOR ALL EMPLOYEES.
BUT IT WAS ALWAYS FREE FOR FAMILIES WHO QUALIFIED FOR FREE.
SO I, I STILL, I'LL JUST SAY THIS TO THE ETHER AND ALSO THE COMMITTEE, BUT IT'S VERY CONFUSING BECAUSE ALSO BECAUSE LA UNIFIED HAS A, HAD OPTED INTO SLIDING SCALE A FEW YEARS AGO, THIS DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE ANYTHING.
DISTRICT, LIKE DISTRICT EMPLOYEES AND ANYBODY ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY AND WE STILL HAVE OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, TWO, 2300 SEATS AVAILABLE STILL.
SO YEAH, IT JUST SEEMS ODD BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THE, THE REPORTING ON THIS WAS THAT LIKE DISTRICT, LEA EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE STATE GET FREE PRESCHOOL AND THAT'S, YOU'RE SAYING THAT'S NOT TRUE.
THAT LIKE FOR DISTRICTS MAYBE UNLIKE LA UNIFIED THAT HADN'T ADOPTED A SLIDING SCALE, NOW THEY'RE ELIGIBLE, BUT - CORRECT.
NOTHING CHANGED MATERIALLY FOR US.
NO, BECAUSE WE ADOPTED IT EARLY BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE HAD SEATS AVAILABLE, SO WE INVITED OUR EMPLOYEES TO COME.
WHAT, UH, HOW MANY FEE-BASED STUDENTS DO WE HAVE? I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER AT THIS POINT, BUT IT IS OVER 500.
SO MY DATA REQUEST IS A FOLLOW-UP.
ONE WOULD BE THE FEE-BASED OUT OF THE 9700, HOW MANY ARE FEE-BASED? BECAUSE I DO ANECDOTALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE INCREASING THIS.
I'M SEEING FOLKS, WE'RE, WE'RE OUT THERE TALKING ABOUT IT.
IT'S STILL A, A, A NICELY KEPT SECRET.
WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE SECRET.
UM, SO I'D LOVE TO SEE KIND OF THE, THE NUMBERS.
I'D ALSO LOVE TO SEE A LIST OF HOW MANY IN ALL OF L UNIFIED FROM EECS AND ALSO LIKE T - GETTING INTO TK AND ELEMENTARY, HOW MANY TWO-YEAR-OLDS DO WE HAVE ENROLLED, WHICH I KNOW YOU'VE GIVEN US.
HOW MANY THREE-YEAR-OLDS? HOW MANY FOUR-YEAR-OLDS? HOW MANY FIVE-YEAR-OLDS,
[01:00:01]
UM, AND EVEN HOW MANY SIX-YEAR-OLDS, BECAUSE AS WE'RE SEEING, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT EVERY SIX-YEAR-OLD WAS A FIVE-YEAR-OLD LAST YEAR, SO THEY CAN, UH...SO, AND THEN FOR THE, UM, YOU KNOW, TWO, THREE, FOUR-YEAR-OLDS, OR REALLY THE, THE FOUR-YEAR-OLDS, LIKE, WHERE ARE THEY IN TK VERSUS EARLY ED? BECAUSE I THINK PART OF IT IS JUST TO HELPING US UNDERSTAND AS FAMILIES HAVE HAD MORE OPTIONS, LIKE WHAT THEY'RE CHOOSING, EECS VERSUS TK, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THESE NUMBERS ARE TRENDING IN THE POSITIVE DIRECTION, WE STILL THINK THERE'S A LOT OF UNTAPPED POTENTIAL THERE, BOTH IN THE FEE-BASED PROGRAM, BUT ALSO JUST IF WE HAVE 10,000 FIVE-YEAR-OLDS, THERE'S NO REASON WE SHOULDN'T HAVE 10,000 FOUR YEAR OLDS.
UM, AND NOW WITH THE EXPANDED EARLY ED CENTER, LIKE, GETTING DOWN TO TWO-YEAR-OLDS.
SO THOSE WOULD BE MY DATA, THE FEE-BASED PROGRAMS AND THEN THE KIND OF EVERY AGE BRACKET.
UH, AND I'LL TURN IT TO MS. GONEZ.
AS ALWAYS, THE COMMITTEE ASKS, LIKE, A BUNCH OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD.
UM, GREAT QUESTIONS, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, FOR MR. OBERLANDER, I WANTED TO JUST ASK, I NOTICED THAT, UM, THERE IS NOT A TRAINING LOCATION IN THE EAST SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, UM, AND WAS CURIOUS IF THAT IS SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING INTO.
I ALSO WANTED TO ASK IF WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO CO-LOCATE EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS OR OFFERINGS AT DACE, UM, OCCUPATIONAL CENTERS.
I KNOW SOME OF THEM HAVE OFFERED THEM IN THE PAST AND ARE NOT...
SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS HAVE CLOSED.
UM, SO JUST WANTED TO CHECK IN ON THOSE.
THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, UH, BOARD MEMBER GONEZ.
YEAH, WE, WE ARE ALWAYS ACTIVELY, UM, ASSESSING WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN, UH, OPEN NEW PROGRAMS. UH, WE DO THAT BY ANALYZING A FEW DIFFERENT METRICS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UH, IN THAT AREA, IN THAT SPECIFIC AREA, WE LOOK AT THE LABOR MARKET DATA, WE LOOK AT WHAT KIND OF PARTNERSHIPS EXIST, WE LOOK AT WHICH TYPES OF, UM, OR THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS OR EARLY ED CENTERS AS WELL, AND THE NEED THERE.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, AN IMPORTANT DRIVING FACTOR IS THE INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO AS THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME TO US AND TALK TO US ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF JOBS THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN, UM, WE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS WELL.
SO, UM, LONG STORY SHORT, YES, WE ARE PURSUING ACTIVELY THE IDEA OF OPENING ONE IN THAT AREA.
UM, SHOULD ALL OF THOSE METRICS ALIGN AND SHOULD WE HAVE THE BUDGET TO DO IT? UM, AND THEN IN GENERAL, WE, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY LOVE THE CO-LOCATED MODEL.
UM, IT'S TRICKY BECAUSE IT REQUIRES OFTEN, UM, YOU KNOW, FACILITIES ADJUSTMENTS OR, OR BUILDINGS, UH, NEW BUILDINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT THE MODEL IS REALLY POWERFUL BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US TO LEVERAGE BOTH, UM, ADULT EDUCATION AND EARLY EDUCATION AT ONE CAMPUS, WHICH MEANS THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, CROSS-MARKETING BETWEEN BOTH PROGRAMS. AND FOR US, IT'S A REAL BLESSING BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS NEED CHILDCARE, AND SO THEY'RE ABLE TO COME TO OUR ADULT EDUCATION CENTER.
THEIR STUDENT IS ABLE TO LEARN THROUGH THE EARLY ED CENTER, AND IT'S, UH, A WONDERFUL PARTNERSHIP IN THAT WAY.
SO YES, WE'RE ACTIVELY EXPLORING THAT, AND SHOULD THE RESOURCES AND THE DATA ALIGN, UM, WE'LL BE OPENING NEW PROGRAMS. GREAT.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO GIVE KUDOS ON THE SIGNIFICANT ENROLLMENT GROWTH THAT WE'RE SEEING.
UM, THIS, I KNOW, IS A TESTAMENT TO REALLY HARD WORK THAT'S HAPPENING AT OUR CENTERS.
AND AS I VISITED CENTERS THIS FALL, I'VE DEFINITELY SEEN THEY, THEY LOOK PRETTY FULL, EVEN CONSIDERING WE'RE PRETTY EARLY IN THE SCHOOL YEAR STILL FOR, UM, OUR EARLY ED STUDENTS.
UM, JUST NOTING THE KIND OF THE VARIATION DISTRICT-WIDE IN ENROLLMENT RATES.
UM, DO YOU, DO WE HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT, LIKE, KIND OF WHERE THOSE VACANCIES ARE CONCENTRATED, WHY THERE MIGHT BE SOME DISPARITIES IN ENROLLMENT LEVELS? I WAS THINKING THAT MAYBE, LIKE, THE LANDSCAPE OF OTHER PROVIDERS MIGHT ALSO IMPACT HOW HIGH ENROLLMENT IS IN CER - SOME AREAS, BUT WOULD LOVE ANY REFLECTIONS ON THAT.
SO AS WE TALK TO PRINCIPALS AND WE, UM, TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND WHY, YOU KNOW, WE SEE THESE TRENDS, SOME OF THEM SAY IT'S DUE TO THE POLITICAL CLIMATE, UM, THAT THEY'RE SEEING THESE TRENDS, AND THEY'VE SEEN THEM FOR THE PAST COUPLE YEARS.
IT'S SOME OF THE REGENTRIFICATION OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK SOME OF IT IS JUST A LACK OF AWARENESS, RIGHT? SO AS WE REALLY PROMOTE OUR PROGRAMS, WE, UM, HAVE SENT OUT MAILERS, WE POST, WE HAD BILLBOARDS, WE HAD BUS, UM, STOPS, WE HAD THEM ON OUR BUSES, ON LAUSD, UM, VEHICLES, RIGHT, PRINT, UM, ADVERTISING OUR PROGRAMS. AND WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR WAYS AS WE CANVAS IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AT COMMUNITY EVENTS TO BE ABLE TO SPREAD THAT WORD.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT WHATEVER IDEAS WE CAN COME UP WITH, LIBRARIES, DIFFERENT BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO SPREAD THE WORD THAT WE ARE AVAILABLE.
ALL OF OUR CENTERS HAVE THE BIG SIGNS OUTSIDE NOW.
WE REALLY FOCUSED ON THAT LAST YEAR THAT SAYS NOW ENROLLING TWO-YEAR-OLDS, TOILET TRAINING NOT REQUIRED.
UM, SO IT HAS TO DO WITH JUST WHAT'S HAPPENING WITHIN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
YEAH, IT IS INTERESTING BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, REGION NORTH, I, I, AND I CELEBRATE, I THINK WE'VE GOT AMAZING PRINCIPALS AND I, I GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR HAS HAVING SUCH A HIGH ENROLLMENT RATE.
[01:05:01]
THAT'S BEEN MOST IMPACTED BY ICE.SO SOMETHING IS, SOMETHING IS GOING RIGHT DESPITE THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES IN NORTH, AND I WOULD JUST BE CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THAT TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE SAME TRENDS IN OTHER AREAS AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN JUST, I KNOW THAT I APPRECIATE THE FOCUS ON TWO-YEAR-OLDS BECAUSE THAT IS A BIG PART OF OUR ENROLLMENT, AND I THINK OUR CENTERS ARE DOING SUCH GREAT WORK.
UM, HARD WORK ALSO, UM, HAVING OBSERVED, LIKE, A TEACHER WITH A BUNCH OF TWO-YEAR-OLDS IN HER CLASSROOM, LIKE, IT'S, IT'S HARD.
UM, SO I, I JUST APPRECIATE THE SUPPORTS THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED.
THE, THERE'S THE TWO-YEAR-OLD FURNITURE THAT THE CENTERS HAVE GOT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THE, THEY NEED CHAIRS THAT WILL FIT THEM.
THEY NEED THE APPROPRIATE PLAY EQUIPMENT.
SO, UM, JUST APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE MAKING THOSE SHIFTS TO REALLY ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST ENROLLING THE TWO-YEAR-OLD STUDENTS, BUT WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE MOST APPROPRIATE AND SUPPORTIVE PLACES FOR THEM TO BE.
UM, AND THEN I HAD JUST ONE QUESTION, I THINK, FOR MS. CAMPBELL ON THE, ON OUR STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, JUNHI ASKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS AS WELL, BUT I KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME FAMILIES MAY FEEL STIGMA ABOUT IDENTIFYING AS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
I THINK THERE ARE CULTURAL FACTORS AS WELL THAT MIGHT IMPACT FAMILY SELF-REPORTING.
AND THEN I, AND I KNOW ALSO SOME ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT INTERACTIONS THAT MIGHT LEAD TO WITH THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM, COULD THAT IMPACT, UH, THEIR CUSTODY OF THEIR KIDS, ET CETERA? WHAT, WHAT WORK DO WE DO TO HELP, UM, DISPEL THOSE CONCERNS OR THOSE MYTHS AND ENSURE THAT FAMILIES KNOW THAT, THAT IN A CULTURALLY SENSITIVE WAY, THAT THESE ARE SUPPORTS THAT CAN HELP THEIR FAMILY AND, AND THAT THEY AREN'T PUTTING THEIR KIDS IN A VULNERABLE POSITION BY SELF-IDENTIFYING? YES, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
UM, I THINK OUR STAFF AND OUR PROGRAMS REALLY WORK TO EDUCATE FAMILIES ABOUT, ONE, THAT STATUS IS CONFIDENTIAL, IT IS NOT SHARED ANYWHERE ELSE, UM, AND THAT REALLY THE INTENT OF IT IS TO PROVIDE THEM THE SUPPORT AND SERVICES THAT THEY NEED TO ENSURE THAT THEIR CHILD CAN ENGAGE, CAN ATTEND AT SCHOOL, AND PROVIDE ANY OTHER SUPPORTS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED ALONG THE WAY.
UM, IT REALLY HAS TO DO WITH THAT ONE-ON-ONE ENGAGEMENT, SO REALLY THE LIAISONS WHO ARE AT THE SCHOOLS, UM, ENGAGING WITH THE HOMELESS EDUCATION OFFICE.
IF SOMETHING COMES UP IN A CLASSROOM AND SOMEONE HAS A QUESTION, THERE ARE PEOPLE TO CONSULT TO PROVIDE INFORMATION, CLARIFICATION ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS AND WHAT IS ENTITLED UNDER THE MCKINNEY-VENTO ASSISTANCE ACT.
AND THEN LASTLY, OUR STAFF WHO ARE ASSIGNED TO SUPPORT THE EARLY ED CENTERS AND DISTRICT-WIDE, UM, ENGAGING WITH THOSE FAMILIES AND LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE IDENTIFIED AS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE UNDER THE MCKINNEY-VENTO ACT, THAT'S A DIFFERENT, UM, IDENTIFICATION THAN UNDER THE HUD DEFINITION.
UM, AND THEN WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND THEN DOES THAT IMPACT THEM IN ANY WAY? UM, AND REALLY IT DOESN'T.
WE DO OUR BEST TO, UM, KEEP THAT STATUS CONFIDENTIAL EVEN WITHIN OUR SYSTEMS. UM, THAT STATUS CAN ONLY BE SEEN BY CERTAIN PROVIDERS.
UM, AND THEN MY ONLY OTHER QUESTION WAS JUST, LIKE, ARE LINKAGES WITH OTHER SYSTEMS THAT ARE SUPPORTING FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS? DO WE HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH, UH, LIKE THE COORDINATED ENTRY SITES, TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROVIDERS? LIKE ARE THOSE FAMILIES, UM, ACCESSING OUR EARLY LEARNING? 'CAUSE THIS CAN BE A, SUCH A BIG SUPPORT FOR, FOR FAMILIES, UM, WHO NEED HELP TO HAVE THIS FREE, QUALITY, AFFORDABLE CARE.
UM, SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT HOW WE HELP ENSURE THAT THOSE FAMILIES THAT ARE ENTERING THROUGH OTHER ENTRY POINTS ARE ACCESSING OUR SYSTEMS. ABSOLUTELY, YES.
UM, WE HAVE STAFF WHO ARE CO-LOCATED AT THE COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM SITES, UM, WHO ARE PSA COUNSELORS WORKING WITH THE HOMELESS ED OFFICE, WHO ARE IDENTIFYING S - FAMILIES AND STUDENTS WHO ARE COMING THROUGH THEIR SITES, UM, AND AS WELL AS WE HAVE F - UM, FAMILIES WHO ARE BEING REFERRED THROUGH OUR SCHOOLS WHO ARE IDENTIFIED AS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
SO I THINK IT'S A GIVE AND TAKE.
AND THEN ALSO WE HAVE A LOT OF PARTNERSHIPS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, UM, WHO ARE PROVIDING, UM, BASIC NEEDS SERVICES AND HOUSING SERVICES THAT WE CONNECT FAMILIES TO AS WELL.
UM, BOARD MEMBER MELVILLE, MAYBE YOU CAN HELP ME ENSURE THAT NOBODY ELSE HAS A HAND UP QUESTION OR THOUGHT.
[II.2. Working Together to Address Housing Instability and Student Success]
UM, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TRANSITION NEXT TO OUR, UH, SECOND PRESENTATION.UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE BRINGING UP PARA LOS NINOS TO SHARE ABOUT THEIR WORK AND THEIR POLICY PRIORITIES.
WE'RE JOINED TODAY BY KATHERINE NELSON, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT SUCCESS, JIMMY URISAR, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY AND STUDENT SERVICES, AVIAN WESUERDA, CLINICAL COORDINATOR FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND HOMELESS SERVICES, AND DR.
CARLA LOPEZ VALDEZ, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS.
LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING MORE ABOUT THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING TO SUPPORT, UM, THE NEEDS OF FAMILIES, FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HOUSING INSTABILITY.
WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU ALL.
AND MAY I JUST SAY TWO, AND I APOLOGIZE, I'M GONNA HAVE TO LEAVE A LITTLE EARLY, SO, UM, ONE WILL ALSO TRANSITION TO VIRTUAL, UM, AND THEN MAYBE BETWEEN MS. GONEZ AND MR. MCLEAN, WE CAN HELP KIND OF FACILITATE THE CONVERSATION HERE AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION.
[01:10:01]
PLN FRIENDS, AND THANK YOU.UM, AVIAN, UM, IS NOT, WAS NOT ABLE TO JOIN US TODAY, UM, BUT REALLY SHE WANTED TO, SHE SHARED WITH US, UH, AN ABUNDANCE OF INFORMATION THAT JIMMY WILL SHARE WITH YOU ALL.
UM, SO I WANNA THANK, UH, YOU ALL FOR, UH, FOR INVITING PLN INTO PART OF THESE CONVERSATIONS AND HOPEFULLY A COLLABORATION IN THE FUTURE.
A REALLY SPECIAL THANK YOU, UM, TO BORA MERGONES FOR THE INVITATION TO BE HERE AND TO HELP, UH, REALLY RAISE THE CONCERNS AROUND, UM, UNHOUSED FAMILIES ACROSS, ACROSS THE COUNTY.
UM, SO AGAIN, I'M CARLA LOPEZ VALDEZ WITH PAROS NINOS.
I'M SERVING AS DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY RELATIONS.
AND SO I'M HERE TODAY WITH TWO WONDERFUL COLLEAGUES THAT I INVITE THEM TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
HI, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY.
I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT COMMUNITY SERVICES OVER AT PARELOS NINOS.
SO I OVERSEE ALL OF OUR SOCIAL SERVICES OR OUR, OUR FAMILY SERVICES, OUR CLINICAL SERVICES, OUR YOUTH WORKFORCE SERVICES, AND OUR COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING SERVICES.
I THINK IT'S AFTERNOON NOW, RIGHT? SO GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
MY NAME IS CATHERINE NELSON, FORMER LAUSD TEACHER AND PROUD PRINCIPAL FROM 107TH STREET SCHOOL.
UM, I SERVE CURRENTLY AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT SUCCESS.
AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS I SUPPORT THE THREE TEAMS, OUR EARLY ED PROGRAMS, OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS, AND OUR EXPANDED LEARNING PROGRAMS. UM, SO WHO IS PARREL SINOS? SO WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WE'RE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, UM, THAT WAS FOUNDED IN 1980.
UM, WE'RE 46, 46 YEARS OLD AT THIS POINT, UM, AND WE WERE FOUNDED AS THE FIRST SOCIAL SERVICES ORGANIZATION SERVING THE SKID ROW COMMUNITY.
UM, WE BEGAN AS AN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM IN A CONVERTED WAREHOUSE, REALLY TO PROVIDE A SAFE PLACE FOR CHILDREN.
TODAY, WE HAVE 16 LOCATIONS ACROSS LA COUNTY SERVING OVER 10,000 CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND WE'RE PROUD TO HAVE REMAINED A DEEPLY TRUSTED PARTNER FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT THE BEAUTY OF WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO IS THE COMPREHENSIVENESS OF OUR SERVICES.
SO IN ADDITION TO EDUCATION, WHICH IS MY AREA OF WORK, WE PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH, FAMILY SUPPORT, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT, YOUTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND ADVOCACY.
AND WHAT REALLY MAKES PARA LOS NINOS UNIQUE IS NOT JUST THE WHOLE CHILD APPROACH, BUT THE WHOLE FAMILY APPROACH.
UM, WE UNDERSTAND THAT STUDENT SUCCESS, IT'S IMPACTED NOT ONLY BY WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CLASSROOM WITH THE TEACHER, BUT ALSO BY A FAMILY'S HOUSING STABILITY, PHYSICAL, MENTAL HEALTH, ECONOMIC SECURITY, AND THE ABILITY TO HAVE SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS.
AND WITH THAT, OUR WORK, IT'S, IT'S DEEPLY, DEEPLY ROOTED IN RELATIONSHIPS.
WE WALK ALONGSIDE OUR FAMILIES, HELPING THEM TO NAVIGATE CHALLENGES, BUT ALSO ADVOCATING FOR LONG-TERM SYSTEMS CHANGES THAT NEED TO TRANSPIRE TO CREATE OPPORTUNITY AND STABILITY.
I'M REALLY DEEPLY HONORED TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL TODAY TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE DO.
UM, INTEGRATION IS, SORRY, INTEGRATION IS WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO BECAUSE WE KNOW THE CHALLENGES THAT FAMILIES FACE, THEY'RE INTERCONNECTED.
UM, I LIKE TO DESCRIBE US TO FOLKS AS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH SCHOOLS NESTED WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.
UH, SO WE HAVE SEVEN EARLY ED CENTERS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY WHO SERVE OVER 350 CHILDREN, UM, FROM THREE MONTHS OLD TO FIVE YEARS OLD.
WE HAVE TWO CHARTER SCHOOLS, AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, TK THROUGH FIFTH GRADE, AND A MIDDLE SCHOOL, SIXTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE.
AND THAT MIDDLE SCHOOL IS CO-LOCATED ON LAUSD'S 9TH STREET SCHOOL CAMPUS.
WE'RE ALSO THE ONLY, UM, PROVIDER OF CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH ON SKID ROW, AND THAT GIVES US A REALLY UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE INTO HOW HOUSING INSTABILITY, WELLBEING, AND STUDENT SUCCESS INTERSECT.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KNOW THAT 93% OF OUR FAMILIES LIVE IN COMMUNITIES IN LA WITH THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF FOOD INSECURITY AND HOMELESSNESS IN LA COUNTY.
SO AS A RESULT, HOUSING INSTABILITY, IT'S NOT A PERIPHERAL ISSUE FOR US.
IT'S SOMETHING WE SEE IN EVERY PROGRAM, UM, IN EVERY, EVERY, ACROSS ALL OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE OPERATE.
SO OUR COMMITMENT TO SKID ROW...
[01:15:03]
UM, I MENTIONED OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND ALSO AS WELL, WE HAVE THE TINO AND RICK CARUSO EARLY ED CENTER THAT'S LOCATED IN SKID ROW.APPROXIMATELY 80%, 80% OF THE CHILDREN IN THAT EARLY ED CENTER ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR HOUSING INSTABILITY.
SO, AND WITH OUR ELEMENTARY AND OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL, IT'S APPROXIMATELY 20%.
THE TRENDS THAT WE'RE SEEING ARE DEEPLY, DEEPLY CONCERNING BECAUSE BETWEEN 2020 AND 2025, OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL THAT'S LOCATED ON 9TH STREET'S CAMPUS, UM, SO WE'RE THE HOMESCHOOL ACTUALLY FOR THE UNION, CHILDREN THAT LIVE AT THE UNION RESCUE MISSION, UM, WHICH IS THE ONLY SHELTER IN THE SKID ROW COMMUNITY THAT SERVES, COMPLETELY SERVES FAMILIES.
UM, THEY, AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE EXPERIENCED A 509% INCREASE IN UNHOUSED STUDENTS OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME FROM 2020 TO 2025, SO GOING FROM 11 CHILDREN TO 67 CHILDREN.
AND WE'VE ALSO SEEN A DRAMATIC INCREASE AT OUR EARLY ED SITES.
SO IN ONE, UM, EARLY HEAD START SITE, WE SAW THE NUMBER OF UNHOUSED CHILDREN INCREASE BY 70% IN ONE YEAR.
SO THE NUMBERS REINFORCE THAT FAMILY HOMELESSNESS IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE, IT'S GROWING AND AFFECTING CHILDREN AT EVERY STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT AND, UM, AND EDUCATION.
SO WHILE HOMELESS HAS BEEN A LONGSTANDING ISSUE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE'RE, WE'RE EXPERIENCING TODAY IS WE REALLY NEED TO, WE'RE FOCUSED ON SCALE AND, AND URGENCY.
SO OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE BEEN UPLIFTING THE CHALLENGES TO ELECTED OFFICIALS, PARTNERS, AND, UM, OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.
AND THIS WORK THAT WE DO, WE CAN'T DO WITH, WITHOUT OUR PARTNERS.
UM, AND WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL.
UM, WE'RE GRATEFUL TO THE LA COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION, SO THE EARLY ED, UM, THE, THE LEADER FOR THE EARLY ED PROGRAM, LUIS BAPTISTE HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE PARTNER WITH US.
THAT'S HOW WE HAVE OUR EARLY ED FUNDING, PART OF OUR EARLY ED FUNDING.
KOTKE WITH, UH, LA COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION AS WELL HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE PARTNER, UM, THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS WORK, LOOKING WITH OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND SUPPORTS FOR OUR FAMILIES AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE UNION RESCUE MISSION THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, AND YOU, UM, LAUSD, REALLY IT'S BEEN, UM, A TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY, THE RELATIONSHIPS ON 9TH STREET SCHOOL AND, UH, PARA LOS VINOS CHARTER MIDDLE SCHOOL.
WE LIVE TOGETHER, AND WE LIVE TOGETHER ACTUALLY IN A VERY BEAUTIFUL WAY.
YOU HEAR THE STORIES ABOUT CHARTERS AND DISTRICTS NOT WORKING WELL TOGETHER.
I ACTUALLY WOULD SAY THAT WE'RE NOT SURVIVING TOGETHER, BUT WE'RE THRIVING TOGETHER AND SERVING OUR FAMILIES IN A UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL WAY, AND THAT REALLY IS BECAUSE WE'VE ALL WORKED HARD TO BUILD VERY STRONG RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE LEADERS AT BOTH SITES.
SO I'D LIKE TO SHARE JUST BRIEFLY THE STORY OF ONE FAMILY, UM, WHEN WE WANNA KIND OF MAKE THIS A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT MORE REAL, UM, TO GROUND OUR EXPERIENCE AND OUR CONVERSATION AND WHAT YOU'LL HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUE.
AT CARUSO EARLY ED CENTER, THAT'S THE CENTER THAT'S LOCATED IN THE SKID ROW COMMUNITY, UM, OUR FAMILY SPECIALISTS AND OUR SITE LEADERS, YOU KNOW, GREET FAMILIES EVERY DAY AND HAVE VERY STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR FAMILIES.
AND JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE HAD A MOM COME IN.
UM, SHE LIVES IN A, UM, SHE LIVES IN AN RV, AND SHE CAME IN WAS DISTRAUGHT.
SHE WAS EXTREMELY UPSET BECAUSE SHE HAD WITNESSED, AS SHE WAS TAKING HER CHILD OUT FOR THE MORNING TO COME TO SCHOOL, A SHOOTING.
AND SO SHE CAME IN, WRAPPED OUR ARMS AROUND HER, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO REASSURE HER.
UM, BUT WHAT'S THE MOST IMPACTFUL PART OF THE WORK IS RIGHT AWAY, THE SITE LEADER, BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT THEY HAVE ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION, UM, WITH FAMILY SERVICES AND WITH OTHERS, WERE ABLE TO SUPPORT HER AND SECURE HOTEL VOUCHERS SO SHE AND HER DAUGHTER, HER SON, COULD BE IN A PLACE OF REFUGE FOR THE WEEKEND, ALSO GIVING HER GIFT CARDS FOR FOOD, UM, AND OTHER ITEMS THAT SHE MIGHT NEED.
THE FAMILY, WHAT STANDS OUT ABOUT THIS STORY IS IT'S NOT JUST ONE SINGLE THING THAT WE DO, BUT BECAUSE OF THOSE DEEP RELATIONSHIPS WE HAVE WITH OUR FAMILIES, THE TRUST THAT WE'VE BUILT, UM, IT REQUIRED IN THAT INSTANCE, COORDINATION ACROSS MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS AND MULTIPLE TEAMS TO SUPPORT THAT FAMILY.
AND THIS FAMILY'S EXPERIENCE, UNFORTUNATELY, IT REFLECTS WHAT WE SEE EVERY DAY.
BEHIND EVERY DATA POINT THAT WE SHARE, WE KNOW THERE'S THE HUMAN LIVED EXPERIENCE, A CHILD TRYING TO LEARN,
[01:20:01]
A PARENT TRYING TO PROTECT OUR FAMILY, AND A COMMUNITY TRYING TO, TRYING TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE SOME STABILITY.OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR FAMILIES DON'T HAVE TO FACE THE CHALLENGES ALONE, AND THAT SYSTEMS ARE DESIGNED TO RESPOND TO THE CRISIS BEFORE IT BECOMES AN EMERGENCY.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME UP MY COLLEAGUE, JIMMY WIETZER, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY AND SERVICE, UH, STUDENT SERVICES.
SO I, I HAVE THE, UM, FORTUNE OF HAVING BEEN AT THE AGENCY FOR 15 YEARS AND MA- MAINLY IN, IN OUR SOCIAL SERVICES, UH, SIDE OF THE, OF THE OWING.
AND SO WE HAVE WORKED WITH UNHOUSED FAMILIES AND SUPPORTED UNHOUSED FAMILIES THROUGHOUT OUR CLINICAL SERVICES AND OUR FAMILY SERVICES.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE HAVE NOTICED, THOUGH, IS THAT IT STARTED INCREASING AFTER THE INITIAL, UM, TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
UH, OUR FAMILIES WERE VERY IMPACTED, AGAIN, BASED ON THE, ON THE LOCATION THAT WE'RE AT, UH, SKID ROW IN SOUTH LA.
UM, SO WHAT WE'D STARTED TO DO, TO DO MORE OUTREACH AND TO CAPTURE FAMILIES THAT WERE IN NEED, IN 2017, PLN FOUNDED THE SKID ROW COLLABORATIVE, AND WE BROUGHT TOGETHER AGENCIES THAT SERVE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN THE AREA, INCLUDING LAUSD, UNION RESCUE MISSION, SCHOOL ON WHEELS, PATH, WHICH IS PEOPLE ASSISTING THE HOMELESS, AND THE WHOLE CHILD.
IN DECEMBER 2021, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, WE HAD AN INDIVIDUAL DONOR, UM, THAT GAVE PLN FUNDING SPECIFICALLY TO SUPPORT FAMILIES WHO WERE, WHO WERE CLOSE TO EVICTION.
TH- THAT CONTRIBUTION BECAME THE BEGINNING OF OUR PLN HOUSING FUND AND ALLOWED US TO RESPOND MORE DIRECTLY TO URGENT HOUSING NEEDS.
BY SEPTEMBER 2023, UH, THE SITUATION HAD BECOME EVEN MORE URGENT.
OUR PROGRAM TEAM LEARNED THAT UNION RESCUE MISSION HAD REACHED CAPACITY AND WAS NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW FAMILIES.
THAT RAISED A CRITICAL QUESTION, WHERE WERE FAMILIES SUPPOSED TO GO WHEN THE AVAILABLE SYSTEM HAD NO ROOM FOR THEM? WE BEGAN MEETING WITH ELECTED LEADERS, ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS, THE MEDIA, AND OTHER PARTNERS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE GAP AND IDENTIFY POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS.
IN FEBRUARY 2024, OUR FAMILY SERVICES DIVISION WAS AWARDED THE UNITED MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTER CONTRACT FROM DMH.
UM, THAT EXPANDED OUR ABILITY TO FOCUS MORE ON PREVENTION RATHER THAN THE INTERVENTION OR THE IMMEDIATE CRISIS THAT CAN, THAT CAN COME ABOUT WHEN, WHEN FAMILIES ARE EXPERIENCING, UM, UH, BECOMING UNHOUSED.
UM, AND THAT IS PRIMARILY IN, IN SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT TWO OR SPA SIX.
HOWEVER, WE DO NOT LIMIT IT TO THAT.
IF WE HAVE A FAMILY THAT WOULD NEED SUPPORT OR SERVICES FROM OUR UNITED MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTER PROGRAM, IF THEY ARE IN A DIFFERENT AREA, WE DO WORK WITH THEM OR WE DO REFER THEM TO ANOTHER UNITED MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTER PROGRAM IN THAT SERVICE AREA THAT SPECIALIZES WITH THE UNHOUSED.
FROM THERE, OUR WORK CONTINUED TO GROW.
IN AUGUST 2024, PLN RECEIVED, UH, 275,000 FROM LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERVISOR HILDA SOLIS TO SUPPORT UNHOUSED FAMILIES.
PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS ALSO BEGAN, UM, CONTRIBUTING TO THE HOUSING FUND AND HAVE HAD, AND HAVE SINCE RENEWED THAT SUPPORT.
WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ALONE WAS NOT ENOUGH.
WE ALSO NEEDED FAMILIES' EXPERIENCES TO SHAPE THE BROADER CONVERSATION.
SO IN JUNE 2025, WE LAUNCHED SURVEYS AND LISTENING SESSIONS TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT INPUT INFORMED PLN'S POLICY AGENDA, WHICH LAUNCHED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2025.
SO OVER TIME, THIS EFFORT HAS EVOLVED FROM RESPONDING TO IMMEDIATE EMERGENCIES INTO A BROADER STRATEGY THAT INCLUDES DIRECT SUPPORT, COMMUNITY VOICE PARTNERSHIP, AND POLICY.
ALL RIGHT, SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
SO WHAT DOES HOUSING INSTABILITY ACTUALLY LOOK ACROSS PLN? IN EARLY EDUCATION, WE ARE ENROLLING MORE CHILDREN WHOSE FAMILIES ARE UNHOUSED.
THESE CHILDREN FACE TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS, INCONSISTENT ATTENDANCE, AND DISRUPTIONS TO THE DAILY ROUTINE THAT YOUNG CHILDREN NEED.
IN OUR, UM, ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE SEE GREATER STUDENT MOBILITY, SCHOOL TRANSFERS, AND CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM.
STUDENTS MAY ARRIVE AT SCHOOL TIRED, STRESSED, OR DISTRACTED, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE UNWILLING TO LEARN, BUT BECAUSE THEIR FAMILY IS DEALING WITH INSTABILITY OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM.
ON OUR FAMILY SERVICES SIDE, WE'RE RECEIVING MORE REQUESTS FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE, HOUSING NAVIGATION, AND FLEXIBLE CASH SUPPORTS.
FAMILIES MAY BE F - MAY BE FACING EVICTION, OVERCROWDING, OR DOUBLED UP
[01:25:01]
LIVING ARRANGEMENTS.OUR CLINICAL SERVICES TEAM HAS ALSO SE- SEEN THE, THE IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH.
HOUSING INSTABILITY CONTRIBUTES TO STRESS, ANXIETY, AND TRAUMA FOR BOTH CAREGIVERS AND CHILDREN.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONCERNS ARE OFTEN CONNECTED TO UNMET BASIC NEEDS WHILE SHELTER OPTIONS REMAIN LIMITED.
WHEN FAMILIES SPEAK WITH US, THEIR NEEDS ARE, ARE INTERCONNECTED.
THEY, THEY MENTION HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, CHILDCARE, CASE NAVIGATION, AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE THAT THEY TRUST.
THE KEY POINT HERE IS THAT HOUSING INSTABILITY IS NOT ONLY A HOUSING ISSUE, IT AFFECTS ATTENDANCE, LEARNING, MENTAL HEALTH, FAMILY FUNCTIONING, AND ULTIMATELY A STUDENT'S LONG-TERM SUCCESS.
BECAUSE THESE CHALLENGES ARE INTERCONNECTED, OUR RESPONSE ALSO NEEDS TO BE INTERCONNECTED.
HOUSING STABILIZATION CAN INCLUDE RENTAL ASSISTANCE, EVICTION PREVENTION, HOUSING NAVIGATION, AND EMERGENCY FINANCIAL HELP, BUT FAMILIES ALSO NEED CONSISTENT CASE NAVIGATION, UM, WITH SOMEONE THEY TRUST WHO CAN PROVIDE ONE-TO-ONE SUPPORT, CONNECT THEM WITH COMMUNITY RESOURCES, AND HELP THEM ACCESS AVAILABLE BENEFITS.
EDUCA- EDUCATIONAL STABILITY MATTERS AS WELL.
THAT CAN MEAN HELPING A CHILD MAINTAIN STABLE SCHOOL ENROLLMENT, ADDRESSING TRANSPORTATION NEEDS, EXPANDING ACCESS TO CHILDCARE, AND SUPPORTING CONSISTENT ATTENDANCE.
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS SERVES SERVICES INCLUDING INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY COUNSELING, PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS, COMMUNITY-BASED MENTAL HEALTH OPTIONS, UM, TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE WITH FAMILIES, ALL HELP MANAGE EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF INSTABILITY.
FINALLY, ECONOMIC STABILITY IS ESSENTIAL.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT, FINANCIAL COACHING, AND ACCESS TO INCOME AND BENEFITS ARE, ARE, CAN HELP FAMILIES MOVE TOWARD, UM, STA - MORE STABILIZATION.
THE MAIN TAKEAWAY IS THAT NO SINGLE SERVICE CAN SOLVE THIS CHALLENGE.
FAMILIES ARE MOST SUCCESSFUL WHEN HOUSING, EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND ECONOMIC SUPPORTS WORK TOGETHER RATHER THAN IN ISOLATION.
AND NOW I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE, CAR - DR.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEEN ECHOED IN THIS CONVERSATION HAS BEEN THE IMPORTANCE OF PARTNERSHIP AND THAT THIS, UH, THE ISSUE AROUND HOUSING AND STABILITY CANNOT BE SOLVED BY ANY ONE ENTITY OR AN ORGANIZATION ALONE.
AND SO WHAT YOU HEARD FROM MY COLLEAGUE IS THAT WHEN THE FAMILY USES HOUSING, IT, IT, THE IMPACT EXTENDS BEYOND A ROOF.
IT'S STUDENT ATTENDANCE, MENTAL HEALTH, FAMILY STABILITY, AND REALLY OVERALL WELLBEING.
THIS IS WHY PARTNERSHIPS FOR PNN, FOR PABLOS NINOS ARE ESSENTIAL IN THIS WORK.
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT ROLE WE CAN ALL PLAY IN SOLVING THE, THE HOUSING, UH, HOMELESSNESS ISSUE, WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT LA USD, I THINK WE HEARD FROM A COUPLE FOLKS IN THE ROOM, UM, IS THAT SCHOOLS BECOME THE FIRST PLACE WHERE SIGNS OF HOUSING AND STABILITY APPEAR.
EARLY IDENTIFICATION ALLOWS SCHOOLS TO CONNECT FAMILIES TO RESOURCES BEFORE A CRISIS ESCALATES, WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO CONNECT TO A SYSTEM THAT IS OFTEN COMPLICATED AND IS IMPORTANT FOR FAMILIES TO NAVIGATE, UM, THEY CANNOT NAVIGATE THOSE ALONE.
AND SO WE THINK ABOUT THE ROLE THAT WE PLAY AND LU - LAUSD CAN PLAY IN THINKING ABOUT SCHOOL-BASED, UH, SUPPORTS AND FAMILY RESOURCE HUBS.
UM, THEY CAN SERVE AS TRUSTED ACCESS POINTS WHERE FAMILIES RECEIVE, UM, HELP NAVIGATING SERVICES.
WE KNOW THAT MANY SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DISTRICT HAVE A PARENT CENTER WHERE AT TIMES IT, IT HAS SERVED AS A ONE TIME, ONE-STOP SHOP FOR MANY.
AS EDUCATORS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND ADVOCATES, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO IDENTIFY NEEDS EARLY AND INTERVENE BEFORE STUDENTS EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT DISRUPTION TO LEARNING.
THE DATA, THE INFO WE GATHER, UH, CAN BE SHARED, UH, WITH CITY AND COUNTY TO INFORM RECOMMENDATIONS, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE LATER.
SO AS WE THINK ABOUT THESE TWO AGENCIES, THE CITY OF LA AND THE COUNTY, MANY OF THE SOLUTIONS FAMILIES NEED ARE ADMINISTRATED, ARE ADMINISTERED THROUGH THE CITY AND COUNTY SYSTEMS WHERE FAMILIES ARE OFTEN, UM, OFTEN ASKED TO NAVIGATE MULTIPLE AGENCIES AND DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESSES, MAKING THE PROCESS EVEN MORE COMPLICATED AND STRESSFUL.
AS HOLDERS OF THIS INFORMATION, ORGANIZATIONS CAN CALL FOR GREATER INTEGRATION OF SERVICES THAT WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE BARRIERS AND HELP FAMILIES ACCESS SUPPORT QUICKLY.
INVESTING IN HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION IN FAMILY-CENTERED RESOURCES IS OFTEN MORE EFFECTIVE AND LESS COSTLY THAN RESPONDING AFTER A FAMILY BECOMES UNHOUSED.
UH, OUR DATA, UM, AND DATA ACROSS THE, ACROSS RESEARCH HAS SHOWN TIME AND TIME AND AGAIN THAT PREVENTION IS ANSWER TO HOMELESSNESS.
[01:30:01]
MANY FAMILIES THAT WE HAVE SUPPORTED THROUGH OUR FUND THAT JENNY MENTIONED HAVE SHARED THE ASSISTANCE OF $2,000 SAVE THEM FROM LIVING ON THE STREETS.SO AS WE THINK ABOUT OUR ROLE, WE THINK ABOUT OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS BEING PART OF THIS ECOSYSTEM.
WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS AND OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS FOR LONG-TERM SUPPORT AND BEING ABLE TO, UM, HAVE FAMILIES RELY ON US, UH, TO BUILD THAT WITH THEM.
WE CAN LEAN INTO ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICES, TO BE THE LINK BETWEEN STUDENT, FAMILIES, AND SERVICES THEMSELVES.
IN THIS SAME THREAD, AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS HAVE AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY TO HELP SHAPE WHAT NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOOKS LIKE.
TOO OFTEN, WE SEE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ONE BEDROOM OR STUDIO UNITS THAT DO NOT REFLECT THE REALITIES OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN.
FAMILY-CENTERED HOUSING MUST INCLUDE UNITS THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE LARGER HOUSEHOLDS AND SUPPORT LONGSTER, LONG-TERM STABILITY.
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE PARADOS NINOS CAN HELP BUILD THAT BRIDGE AND BUILD THAT GAP BETWEEN, UM, BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN SYSTEMS AND FAMILIES BY COORDINATING SERVICES, PROVIDING NAVIGATION, AND RESPONDING TO URGENT NEEDS.
WE ALSO CAN PLAY A ROLE IN BRINGING THE VOICES AND EXPERIENCES OF FAMILIES INTO POLICY DISCUSSIONS.
WE HEARD FROM FAMILIES ACROSS OUR PROGRAMS, THE HIGH COST OF HOUSING AND THE REAL FEAR OF MISSING ONE PAYMENT CAN CREATE.
STRONG RELATIONSHIPS CREATE A MORE SEAMLESS EXPERIENCE FOR FAMILIES AND IMPROVE OUTCOME FOR CHILDREN.
WE KNOW HOUSING STABILITY AND EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS ARE REALLY DEEPLY CONNECTED.
SO WHEN SCHOOLS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WORK TOGETHER, FAMILIES ARE BETTER POSITIONED TO ACHIEVE LONG-TERM SUCCESS AND STUDENTS ARE ABLE, ARE BETTER ABLE TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL.
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS REALLY CAME OUT OF A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD WITH FAMILIES AND YOUTH ACROSS PAROS NINOS THAT CREATED LIKE OUR POLICY AGENDA.
AND, UH, WE, WE DO HAVE COPIES OF THE POLICY AGENDA IF YOU WOULD LIKE A COPY OF IT.
THIS REALLY WAS INFORMED, UM, BY FAMILIES AND YOUTH.
UM, AND THESE ARE, WE, WHEN WE, WE LISTEN TO THE FAMILIES, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE REALLY GROUNDED IN THEIR VOICE AND WHAT THEY NEED FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS.
SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS HERE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO VOICE OVER IN TERMS OF LIKE, THIS IS REALLY A CALL FOR OUR PARTNERSHIP AND CALL TO ACTION FROM DIFFERENT ENTITIES AND AGENCIES.
BASED ON OUR, REALLY, WHAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS OUR EARLY EDUCATION SITES, K-12 FAMILY SERVICES AND MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS, WE BELIEVE THERE ARE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR POLICY AND SYSTEMS LEVEL CHANGE.
THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE GROUNDED IN THE EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS AND FAMILIES THAT WE SERVE EVERY DAY.
UM, AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT, UH, WITHOUT HOUSING, WE REALLY THINK ABOUT, UH, WITHOUT HOUSING SOLUTIONS, UM, WE CAN'T EXPECT A CHILD TO GO TO SCHOOL.
WE CAN'T EXPECT A CHILD TO LEARN IN ITS, IN ITS FULL CAPACITY.
SO FAMILIES, UM, SHARED THAT, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF CROSS-AGENCY COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE TO THIS WORK.
UM, FAMILIES SHOULD NOT HAVE TO NAVIGATE DISCONNECTED SERVICES OR SYSTEMS DURING A CRISIS.
WE ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF, OF A COORDINATED RESPONSE SYSTEM, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON STUDENTS AND FAMILIES, AND ALSO BETTER COORDINATION AMONG SCHOOLS, HOUSING AGENCIES, AND COUNTY DEPARTMENTS, AND OF COURSE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES AND REDUCE DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS.
THINKING ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION OF PREVENTION EFFORTS, AS JIMMY, UH, MENTIONED THAT WE CREATED THE FUND, AND THIS IS FOR US, THIS IS REALLY ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOLS AVAILABLE WHEN WE REALLY PREVENT, UM, UNH - UH, WE, WE PREVENT HOMELESSNESS.
WE KNOW THAT RELATIVELY SMALL INVESTMENTS IN RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND EVICTION PREVENTION CAN PREVENT FAMILIES FROM BECOMING UNHOUSED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
WE HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE CAN HELP FAMILIES REMAIN HOUSED AND KEEP CHILDREN CONNECTED TO THEIR SCHOOLS AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS. FOR US, ALSO THE PIECE AROUND FUNDING AND LOCATION, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MEASURES ACROSS THE COUNTY, ACROSS THE CITY, AND ACROSS THE STATE THAT HAVE ALLOCATED FUNDING FOR HOMELESSNESS.
HOW CAN WE PUSH THESE SYSTEMS TO ALLOCATE SPECIFIC FUNDING FOR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN? WE NEED DEDICATED FUNDING WILL ALLOW PROVIDERS, ORGANIZATIONS TO RESPOND MORE QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY TO A FAMILY AND THEIR NEEDS.
WE'RE L - WE'RE LEANING INTO ADVOCACY EFFORTS ALONGSIDE, UM, LEIKO AND DR.
WE KNOW THE OPPORTUNITIES WITH, WITHIN MEASURE A, MEASURE ULA, AND OF COURSE THE BUDGET THAT WAS JUST PASSED.
AND THEN ALSO THINKING ABOUT HOW CAN WE CONVERSE SURPLUS AND UTILIZE LANDS ACROSS THE COUNTY.
THE AFFORDABLE, AFFORDABILITY CRISIS REQUIRES CREATIVE SOLUTIONS AND PLN IS SUPPORTIVE
[01:35:01]
OF THAT.PUBLIC PRIVATE PRIVAC - UH, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS CAN HELP TRANSFORM UNDERUTILIZED PROPERTIES INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES.
INCREASING THE SUPPLY OF FAMILY APPROPRIATE HOUSING SHOULD BE A REGIONAL PRIORITY, AND THIS CAN BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DEVELOPERS AND OTHER AGENCIES.
AN IMPORTANT PIECE HERE IS TO, UM, TO BE ABLE TO BUILD HOUSING AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO METRO LA AND HAVING CONVERSATION WITH A COUPLE OF PARTNERS, THEY HAVE UPLIFTED, WE DO HAVE HOUSING.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S NATALIE VALLEY.
MANY FAMILIES SAY, NO, I PREFER TO BE HOMELESS AND LIVE IN LA.
AND WE WANNA BUILD SYSTEMS WHERE THE, WE WANNA BUILD HOUSING WHERE THERE'S A, THEIR SUPPORT SYSTEM IS.
AND THEN LASTLY, HOUSING AVAILABILITY.
FAMILIES CONSISTENTLY TOLD US THAT THEY STRUGGLED TO FIND HOUSING THAT MEET THEIR NEEDS AND THEIR BUDGETS.
WE NEED MORE LARGER, WE NEED MORE LARGER FAMILY SIZE UNITS AND STRONGER INCENTIVES FOR LANDLORDS TO ACCEPT HOUSING VOUCHERS, BOTH FOR INTERIM AND PERMANENT HOUSING.
AND THEN LASTLY, INCREASING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING WILL HELP FAMILIES.
WE KNOW THAT WITH BUILDING MORE, INCENTIVIZING LANDLORD AND EXPANDING HOUSING SOLUTIONS OR EXPANDING HOUSING OPTIONS, WE WILL CLOSE THOSE GAPS.
SO I HAVE A COUPLE CALLS TO ACTION FOR ALL OF US.
THE CHALLENGES FACING FAMILIES RIGHT NOW ARE SIGNIFICANT, SO WE SHOULD BE CREATIVE AROUND THE SOLUTIONS.
BY STRENGTHENING THESE PARTNERSHIP, UH, INVESTING IN PREVENTION AND ADVANCING, UH, FAMILY-CENTERED POLICIES, WE REALLY CAN CREATE A FUTURE WHERE EVERY CHILD HAS BOTH A STABLE HOME AND OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED IN LIFE AND IN SCHOOL.
AND WITH THAT, I SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
UH, I'LL JUST START OFF BY SAYING I AM ASTONISHED THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR WHAT YOU DO, AND I'M DEEPLY ENCOURAGED THAT, UH, PABLOS NINOS IS THERE TO HELP.
I MEAN, IT'S IN - IT'S INCREDIBLE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, AND IT'S NOT LOST ON ME THAT, UH, EVEN, EVEN JUST ONE CHILD IN ONE FAMILY BEING, UH, POSITIVELY IMPACTED BY THE WORK YOU DO IS SIGNIFICANT AND HAS KNOCK ON EFFECTS THAT WE CAN'T EVEN POSSIBLY COMPREHEND.
SO, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING HERE AND GIVING, GIVING US THIS INFORMATION.
I'M GONNA WORK FROM MY LEFT AND GO TO MY RIGHT, AND I'LL BE, KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR ANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE ONLINE FOR, FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, SO ANYONE ON MY LEFT, PLEASE GO AHEAD, MR. JACOBY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND ALL THE WORK YOU DO.
I WAS CURIOUS, UM, HOW ARE REFERRALS TO CHILDCARE MADE? APPRECIATE THE QUESTION.
SO, UM, WE ENROLLED A VERY SIMILAR WAY TO HOW LAUSD WOULD ENROLL.
SO, UM, WE RECEIVE SLOTS FROM THE COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION.
UM, FAMILIES HAVE TO FILL OUT, I HEARD THE PLETHORA OF PAPERWORK THAT'S VERY DENSE.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE BARRIERS AS WELL.
AND THEN, UM, ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO SHOW INCOME VERIFICATION.
UM, NONE OF, NONE OF OUR FAMILIES ARE PAYING FOR ANY TYPE OF SERVICES.
AND THEN AFTER ALL OF THAT PAPERWORK IS PROCESSED, THEY ARE ENROLLED.
YOU MAKE REFERRALS OUTSIDE OF YOUR ORGANIZATION? SO CAN YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC? WHAT TYPE OF REFERRALS ARE YOU REFERENCING? CHILDCARE REFERRALS.
I F - LIKE, SAY ALL YOUR CHILDCARE SLOTS ARE FULL.
I SPOKE TO SOMEONE EARLIER TODAY.
I'M REALLY PROUD OF THAT, BUT WE, I MEAN, WE DO PARTNER IF WE HAVE A STUDENT, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT MIGHT NEED MORE INTENSIVE SERVICES.
UM, WE DO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH LAUSD, WITH THE REGIONAL CENTER.
AND SO THERE ARE TIMES WHERE OUR ENVIRONMENT IS NOT THE MOST APPROPRIATE ENVIRONMENT, AND SO WE PARTNER WITH THOSE AGENCIES IN THAT WAY.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL PARTNERING WITH YOU IN DIFFERENT WAYS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
ONE, YOU MENTIONED THE 16 LOCATIONS.
JUST CURIOUS, DOES THAT COVER ALL OF LA, THE FOUR LAUSD REGIONS, UM, OR IS IT SPECIFIC? I KNOW I HEARD SKID ROW, JUST, UM, THE DIFFERENT AREAS.
SO WE HAVE ONE, UM, SITE THAT IS ACTUALLY OUR, IT'S AN OUTLIER TO LAUSD.
UM, AND THEN THE REST ARE, MOSTLY WOULD BE, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER YOUR, THE BOUNDARIES.
SO WE'D BE IN EAST AND WE WOULD BE...
IS, IS THERE CENTRAL ANYMORE? SO MACARTHUR PARK? I DON'T...
UM, PREDOMINANTLY IN, IN THOSE TWO REGIONS.
UM, AND THEN I LOVE THE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, CALLING FOR CROSS COLLABORATION.
YOU HAVE CROSS-SECTOR PARTNERS HERE IN THE SPACE.
SO, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER NOW, BUT I'M JUST REALLY CURIOUS OF WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE, UM, AND MAKING THAT ASK HERE IN THIS SPACE AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT EARLY CHILDHOOD.
UM, JUST REALLY URGENT, LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE? IF THERE'S ANY, UH, SPECIFIC ASK THAT YOU CAN ASK OF THE COMMITTEE.
WHAT COMES TO MIND IS, UM, MEASURE A.
[01:40:01]
THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DRAFTING THEIR SPENDING PLAN.UM, AND PART OF THE, THE ADVOCACY THAT IS NEEDED THERE IS, UH, REALLY BEING ABLE TO CALL OUT FAMILIES AND CHILDREN EXPLICITLY IN THE SPENDING PLAN.
I KNOW THERE WAS A REDUCTION, UM, THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR, UM, AND WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO NOT HAVE THAT REDUCTION, UM, ESPECIALLY AROUND, UH, I THINK IT'S LIKE THE COORDINATED, UM, ENTRY SYSTEMS, UH, CES, THAT'S THE ACRONYM THAT COMES TO MIND.
AND SO WHEN WE WERE CONNECTING WITH DR.
UM, THAT WAS A PROGRAM THAT WAS ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK, AND SO WE WERE WORKING WITH HER TO UPLIFT TO SUPERVISORS THE IMPORTANCE OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. AND SO THAT'S ONE IMMEDIATE, UM, ONE IMMEDIATE PIECE OF IT TOO.
UM, MOST RECENTLY, THE, THE, THE GOVERNOR SIGNED, UH, A BUDGET, UM, ITEM FOR, TO SUPPORT HOMELESS STUDENTS.
AND SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, I DON'T HAVE, UH, AN, A CLEAR IDEA AROUND THE GUIDELINES ON HOW THAT MONEY'S GONNA BE SPENT.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT HOW CAN WE, UH, INFORM THAT IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS PRIORITY WITH THAT MONEY? UM, IT CAN'T SOLVE THE, THE, THE LARGER ISSUE.
HOWEVER, HOW CAN WE, YOU KNOW, BE MINDFUL OF INCENTIVIZING LANDLORDS I MENTIONED, UM, THINKING ABOUT, UM, INCENTIVIZING DEVELOPERS TO BUILD LARGER UNITS FOR FAMILIES.
SO THOSE ARE, LIKE, THE IMMEDIATE, UM, THE IMMEDIATE ADVOCACY EFFORTS.
I DO THINK THAT MEASURE A IS REALLY TOP OF MIND, UM, AS WE THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AS WE THINK ABOUT THE, THE, THE BUDGET CHALLENGES HOW WE MAY HAVE AND WE, WE JUST, WE CANNOT CUT ANYMORE.
MS. DOE? I GUESS JUST APPRECIATION FOR THINKING ABOUT THE WHOLE CHILD, WHOLE FAMILY PERSPECTIVE.
I THINK I'M STILL PROCESSING AROUND AND APPRECIATE, LIKE, SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION AROUND A MEASURE A.
I KNOW OTHER STAFF AT MY ORGANIZATION DO WORK ON EQUITY INDEXES, SO THINKING THROUGH HOW TO SHARE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS THERE.
MS. ORTIZ-FRANKLIN, I SEE YOU'RE THERE WITH US.
UM, IT'S REALLY GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AND, UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SUCH A NEED, UM, SO THANKS FOR FILLING THAT GAP AND, YOU KNOW, THE MORE THAT WE CAN PARTNER AND GROW THE WORK, I THINK THE MORE WE CAN, UM, MEET WHAT WE KNOW IT TO BE THE REALLY EXTREME NEEDS OF OUR FAMILIES.
ALONG THOSE LINES, I WAS CURIOUS IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC, UM, RESOURCES OR CONNECTIONS.
I'M ASSUMING YOU HAVE A LOT OF FAMILIES EXPERIENCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR ESCAPING FROM THAT.
UM, HOW DO YOU APPROACH THAT IF, IF YOU LEARN OF A FAMILY EXPERIENCING DV? AND I ASK BECAUSE NEXT MONTH IS DV AWARENESS MONTH - YEAH.
AND WE ALSO, UM, PASSED A RESOLUTION IN THE DISTRICT LAST YEAR TO TRY TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE AROUND THIS.
YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
UM, ACTUALLY IN AROUND 2015, 2016, I, I THINK WE SAW THAT AS AN, UH, AN ONGOING NEED THAT CAME UP.
WE STARTED SEEING AND HEARING MORE ABOUT FAMILIES THAT ARE EXPERIENCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
AND SO AT THAT POINT, WE DECIDED TO STEP INTO THE, INTO THAT, INTO THAT SPACE AS WELL.
SO WE DO OFFER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES THROUGH OUR FAMILY SERVICES DIVISION.
UM, WE JUST WERE AWARDED AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT TO BE ABLE TO SERVE COMMUNITY FAMILIES.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, WITH OUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES CONTRACT, THOSE ARE ALL DIRECT REFERRALS FROM, UM, THE DPSS.
UM, BUT WE DO OFFER THROUGH OTHER PROGRAMS, WE HAVE OUR PREVENTION AND AFTERCARE PROGRAM, UM, AND OUR UNITED MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTER PROGRAM, SPECIFICALLY THE ONE THAT WORKS WITH TRANSITIONAL AGE YOUTH, THAT DO FOCUS MORE ON, AGAIN, THE PREVENTION ASPECTS OF IT, RIGHT? SO HOW ARE WE PREVENTING FAMILIES FROM GOING DOWN THIS ROAD? UM, SO WE DO WORKSHOPS IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE SEMINARS IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE DO OFFER CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES AND CASE, UM, NAVIGATION.
SO IF FAMILY DOES NEED SUPPORT L- LEGALLY, LIKE IF THEY NEEDED, UM, AN OUT, WE DO REFER TO OTHER, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES AGENCIES THAT EXCLUSIVELY PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE WORK IN, IN, IN, UM, TOGETHER WITH OUR, WITH OUR CLINICAL SERVICES TEAM, SO THAT WAY WE START ADDRESSING SOME OF THE, THE INITIAL NEEDS, RIGHT? FOR THE CHILD, WE'LL LINK THEM TO, TO THEIR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
FOR THE ADULT, BECAUSE ADULT MONEY IS VERY SCARCE, WE ACTUALLY TAKE THAT IN-HOUSE AND KEEP IT.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL SEE THE ADULT THROUGH OUR FAMILY SERVICES AND PROVIDE THEM WITH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
UM, ANY ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, WE DO REFER OUT IF WE CAN'T, IF WE CAN'T SUPPORT.
SO LIKE I, LIKE I MENTIONED, WE WORK WITH, UM, PATH, UM, WITHIN OUR OWN, UH, FAMILY SERVICES DIVISION.
WE DO HAVE A HOUSING, UH, RESOURCE COORDINATOR THAT, THAT SUPPORTS US.
UM, SO THERE'S, THERE'S VARIOUS WAYS THAT WE, WE SUPPORT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
[01:45:01]
UM, THE MAJORITY OF IT THOUGH WILL BE, UM, THROUGH GROUPS, INDIVIDUAL CASE MANAGEMENT.AND THEN, YOU KNOW, UNOFFICIALLY, IT'S MORE, WE SEE IT IN OUR HOME VISITATION PROGRAMS. SO WHEN WE GET A REFERRAL FROM DCFS, UM, FOR OUR FAMILY PRESERVATION PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL GO INTO THE HOME.
AND OFTENTIMES, I WANT, YOU KNOW, I SAY LIKE 85% OF THE FAMILIES THAT ARE REFERRED TO US THROUGH DCFS HAVE SOME LEVEL OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THAT IS OCCURRING OR HAS OCCURRED.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT DOES ALSO, UM, LEAD TO US ENGAGING OTHER, OTHER SUPPORTS WHEN NECESSARY.
THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL.
UM, AND I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT IT'S SO HOLISTIC, UM, THE LEGAL, THE GROUPS, THE INDIVIDUAL REFERRALS IN-HOUSE, UH, ADULT CHILDREN.
UM, TO THAT END, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THIS NUMBER, MAYBE THIS IS A FOLLOW-UP.
I'M CURIOUS, LIKE, WHAT A PER PUPIL COST WOULD LOOK LIKE OR A PER FAMILY.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'S A PER FAMILY, BUT, UM, I'M OFTEN ENCOURAGING OUR DISTRICT TO TRY TO BREAK DOWN THESE BIG NUMBERS ON, LIKE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN PER INDIVIDUAL? DO YOU DO THAT OR COULD YOU?
YOU KNOW, LIKE WE SAY IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, IT'S LIKE $25,000 PER STUDENT, UM, PER PUPIL COST, RIGHT? SO WHAT WOULD WE SAY A PER PUPIL COST AT PADA LOS NINOS? IS IT A $30,000, A $50,000? LIKE, AND MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE THAT, BUT I, I DO WONDER, BECAUSE WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, COVID GIVING US EXTRA DOLLARS THROUGH ESSER TO DO ALL OF THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT IT REALLY REQUIRED, AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS ADDITIONAL PER CHILD THAT WE GOT FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
UM, AND SO JUST THINKING, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE, UM, IF WE HAD THE PER PUPIL RATE THAT OUR KIDS AND FAMILIES DESERVED.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS QUESTION, BOARD MEMBER ORTIZ FRANKLIN.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU, I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, AND IN FACT, WOULD NEED TO DO SOME HOMEWORK.
AND I WOULD ALSO JUST SHARE FOR CONTEXT FOR THE COMMITTEE.
SO, UM, WE DO NOT OPERATE IN SILOS, AND YET SOME OF OUR PROGRAMMING IS, UM, SPECIFIC TO CERTAIN PROGRAMS, IF YOU WILL.
SO, UM, ONE OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS IS INTEGRATION.
AND SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT, LIKE, UM, I'M THINKING ABOUT THE QUESTION AROUND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THAT FUNDING AND, AND WHERE WE RECEIVE THAT FUNDING FROM AND, AND WHO WE CAN SERVE, RIGHT? BECAUSE IN CERTAIN INSTANCES, IT'S CERTAIN SPAS, AND SO, OR THERE'S, UH, REFERRALS FROM DCFS, AND SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A COMPLICATED QUESTION, BUT, UH, WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO GET BACK WITH YOU ON, WITH THE DATA THAT WE HAVE.
UM, SO MORE TO COME, WE'LL SEND, WE'LL SEND A FOLLOW-UP EMAIL ON THAT.
AND IT'S SO GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, THEY COST LESS, AND YOU GET TO, YOU GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE ACTUAL CRISIS OR THE, THE IN - THE INTERVENTION IS NEEDED.
AND I OFTEN SHARE THE STORY OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE HAVE A F - A FAMILY THAT IS MAYBE ESCAPING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
WE HAVE NOW A SINGLE MOM WITH CHILDREN WHO IS IN NEED, AND IN THAT MOMENT, IT MAY BE A CRISIS MOMENT.
AND SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YOU'RE ENGAGING EVERYTHING AT, ALL AT ONCE, RIGHT? SO NOW YOU'RE SAYING, "I NEED HOUSING." SO NOW WE HAVE A CASE MANAGER SUPPORTING WITH FINDING EMERGENCY HOUSING, WHETHER THAT'S A SHELTER, WHETHER THAT'S A HOTEL OR MOTEL.
AND THEN WE HAVE OTHER THINGS TO THINK ABOUT, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION FOR THE FAMILY.
HOW IS THE CHILD GONNA GET TO SCHOOL IF WE'VE DISPLACED THEM FROM THEIR HOME? HOW IS, HOW IS MOM GONNA GET TO SERVICES THAT SHE NEEDS SINCE NOW WE'VE DISPLACED HER FROM HER, HER CENTRAL AREA? WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT FOOD BECAUSE HOTELS, MOTELS DON'T HAVE KITCHENS.
AND SO WE DON'T WANNA PUT THE BURDEN ON THE FAMILY.
AND AT THAT POINT, NOW WE'RE ENGAGING ALL THESE OTHER SYSTEMS, RIGHT? AND THAT'S JUST FOR ONE NIGHT.
THAT MEANS THE NEXT DAY WE NEED TO PLAN OUT NOW FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK, LOOK AT THE NEXT OF THE MONTH, RIGHT? AND THAT'S, THAT'S MORE COSTLY THAN SAYING, "HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVING WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND LIFTING UP INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE." AND THAT RESONATES WITH FOLKS.
THE TIMES THAT WE'VE HAD THOSE, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD FOLKS WALK UP TO US AND SAY, "I KNOW SOMEBODY OR THIS IS HAPPENING TO ME." AND NOW THAT'S A DIFFERENT CONNECTION, RIGHT? BECAUSE NOW WE'RE GETTING AHEAD OF IT BEFORE IT ACTUALLY HAPPENS.
SO THAT'S THE LONG ANSWER, BUT THE SHORT ANSWER IS I THINK WE, WE DO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, PREVENTION IS MORE COST-EFFECTIVE THAN ACTUAL INTERVENTION AND CRISIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I SAID NEXT MONTH, BUT I REALIZED TODAY'S OCTOBER 1ST.
SO THIS IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH AND THE, UM, EVERY SCHOOL SAFE MODULES THAT OUR STUDENTS, STAFF AND FAMILIES ARE PARTICIPATING IN AT LA UNIFIED SCHOOLS IS ABOUT HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS.
AND TO YOUR POINT, PREVENTION IS, YOU KNOW, A BIG PART OF WHAT
[01:50:01]
SCHOOLS DO, UM, AND TRYING TO TEACH YOUNG PEOPLE FROM A YOUNG AGE, LIKE, HOW TO RECOGNIZE SIGNS OF HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS SO THAT THEY CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, CREATE THE, THE FUTURE THAT THEY'RE, THEY ABSOLUTELY DESERVE.MY LAST QUESTION IS MAYBE A LITTLE BIT LIGHTER.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN EMPLOYEE HOUSING, NOT YET FAMILY HOUSING, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD HAS BEEN CONSIDERING.
AND OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, WE'RE GONNA BE ENGAGING WITH OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THE LONG-TERM, UM, UH, KIND OF FOOTPRINT OF LA UNIFIED.
WE'RE, UH, EMBARKING ON THIS, UM, EFFORT CALLED STRONGER SCHOOLS TOGETHER.
AND PART OF THAT WILL, UM, BE INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, UM, POTENTIALLY BRINGING SCHOOLS TOGETHER OR, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING WHERE THERE ARE ABSENCES, BUT, UM, WHERE THERE MIGHT BE SURPLUS LAND, AS YOU ALL MENTIONED HERE, LIKE FOR THE CITY, UM, WHERE OUR PROPERTIES MIGHT BE, UM, YOU KNOW, UNDERUTILIZED, UH, THERE MIGHT BE SOME DESIRE FOR FAMILY HOUSING.
AND HERE YOU MENTIONED, UM, LIKE, LARGER APARTMENTS.
I THINK SO FAR WE'VE ONLY DONE, LIKE, STUDIOS, ONE BEDROOMS, AND TWO BEDROOMS. UM, BUT GIVEN YOUR, YOUR EXPERIENCE, LIKE, ARE FAMILIES REALLY NEEDING THREE AND FOUR BEDROOM APARTMENTS OR, LIKE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS A, A, A LARGER OR SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING AS WE, YOU KNOW, LOOK TO POTENTIALLY DOING SOME FAMILY HOUSING IN THE FUTURE? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
UM, I, I, I SEE THE NEED MORE IN THE TWO TO THREE BEDROOM SPACE FOR FAMILIES.
UM, AGAIN, I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS, YOU KNOW, FAMILIES ARE LIVING TOGETHER, SO WHETHER IT'S WITH ANOTHER FAMILY, UM, WHETHER THEY'RE COUCH SURFING OR THEY'RE ALL SHARING ONE BEDROOM, BUT THE, WHAT, WHAT I THINK WHAT WE'RE COMMONLY S - HEARING IS THAT FAMILIES WOULD LOVE MORE TWO, THREE BEDROOM SPACES.
AND, LIKE, WHAT A DREAM FOR MANY KIDS TO, LIKE, HAVE THEIR OWN ROOM SOMEDAY.
UM, SO REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL.
SORRY, THAT WAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT I WILL PAUSE MR. MCLEAN FOR THE NEXT COLLEAGUE.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD, UM, TO JIMMY'S, UH, COMMENT IS THAT, UM, MANY FAMILIES, UH, DID SAY, LIKE, YES, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, IN A SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD IS ESSENTIAL FOR THEM.
THEY KNOW THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING CAN BE IN, IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THEIR, THEIR CHILDREN CANNOT PLAY OUTSIDE.
AND THEY'RE LIKE, "WE, WE, WE WANT SOMEWHERE WHERE THE, WHEN THE SUN SETS, THE KIDS CAN STILL PLAY OUTSIDE WITHOUT FEAR." SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE UPLIFTED IN THE AGENDA, BEING ABLE TO HAVE SAFE AND STABLE HOMES, UM, FOR, FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT TWO OR THREE BEDROOMS APARTMENTS, YES, AND SAFER NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND I KNOW I SAID LAST THING, BUT ALSO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR OUR PROPERTIES, AND WE'VE HAD SOME RELATIONSHIP WITH THE KID, THE COUNTY AND CITY AROUND COMMUNITY SCHOOL PARKS SO THAT FAMILIES CAN USE, UM, THE SCHOOL GYM OR THE YARD OR THE APPARATUS AFTER SCHOOL AND ON WEEKENDS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S A, A BIG NEED LONG TERM.
UM, IF WE HAVE THE, UM, ASSETS, LET'S OPEN IT UP SO OUR FAMILIES CAN, UM, USE THEM AND THEN SAFELY GET HOME IS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE LAST PIECE OF IT.
SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
AND AS MS. GONEZ GETS SETTLED IN, WE'LL GO TO MS. BARLOW, AND THEN MS. GONEZ.
WELL, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO START BY SAYING THANK YOU FOR STICKING AROUND.
UM, YOUR AGENCY NAME SOUND FAMILIAR, AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE INTRODUCTION, I WAS LIKE, "OH, 1980." SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR STICKING AROUND.
SO, UM, I, I REALLY LOVE THE PREVENTION PIECE.
I REALLY LOVE THE PREVENTION PIECE, AND IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO HEAR THAT YOU ALL ARE THE ONLY AGENCY THAT PROVIDES MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO THE CHILDREN ON SKID ROW.
DO YOU ALL, UM, SERVICE ANY OTHER COMMUNITIES OTHER THAN SKID ROW FOR THE CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH? SURE.
SO OUR, OUR MENTAL HEALTH CONTRACT IS FOR SPA FOUR, SO THE DOWNTOWN METRO AREA.
UM, BUT A LOT OF OUR REFERRALS DO COME FROM THE, THE SKID ROW AREA, FROM URM, OUR SCHOOLS, UM, NEIGHBORING AREAS, JUST BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION.
UM, IF FAMILIES ARE OR HAPPEN TO BE NEAR SKID ROW OR AT URM, IT'S THE, THE CLOSEST, UM, MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER THERE.
BUT WE ARE CONTRACTED TO PROVIDE, UM, IN SPA FOUR.
UM, MS. CARLETT, WHY DON'T YOU GO? I'LL GO AT THE END.
JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE WORK.
UM, IT'S JUST SO HEARTBREAKING HOW MUCH NEED THERE IS OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE CHANGE IN THE ADMINISTRATION.
UM, AND JUST REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT, THE FOCUS THAT YOU HAVE.
WE HEAR A LOT WHOLE CHILD, BUT YOUR WHOLE, YOU KNOW, WHOLE FAMILY SUCCESS BECAUSE THE CHILD IS PART OF A FAMILY AND FAMILIES HAVE MULTIFACETED NEEDS.
AND SO JUST ALL OF THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES YOU PROVIDE AND, UM, THE FOCUS ON THE PREVENTION IS REALLY CRITICAL AND JUST KNOWING THAT
[01:55:01]
CHILDCARE AND EARLY LEARNING ARE CRITICAL PIECES OF THOSE NEEDS.SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS PRESENTATION HERE, UM, AND JUST LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING OUR PARTNERSHIP AND WORKING WITH YOU IN ADDITIONAL WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
MS. BROWN? I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UH, JUST HEARING THE PRESENTATION AND HEARING ALL THE, IT'S KIND OF LIKE, UM, A LOT.
AND, UH, TAKE SPECIAL PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, I KNOW SOMETIME YOU FEEL THAT, UH, YOU'RE NOT HAVING THE FUNDS AND, UH, RESOURCES, BUT, UH, I THINK BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU'RE PRESENTING AND DOING, UM, THAT EVENTUALLY THAT MONEY WILL COME.
AND ALSO, I JUST WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION.
UM, ARE YOU ALSO ABLE TO, UM, PROVIDE SERVICES LIKE FOR INFANTS? I'M JUST CURIOUS, LIKE THE INFANTS, THE YOUNGER CHILDREN.
UM, WE ACTUALLY, WE'VE BROKEN UP OUR CHILD MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES INTO TWO.
WE HAVE OUR BIRTH TO FIVE SPECIALTY, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR SCHOOL AGE, UM, SPECIALTY.
SO WITH THE BIRTH TO FIVE SPECIALTY, IT'S A LOT MORE INTERACTIVE THERAPY WITH THE CAREGIVER AND THE CHILD, UM, WHERE THE FOCUS IS ON STRENGTHENING THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHILD.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE A HOME VISITATION PROGRAM THAT'S EXCLUSIVE TO BIRTH TO FIVE, WHERE THESE ARE CASES THAT ARE COMING TO US THAT ARE NOT OPEN CASES WITH DCFS, BUT THEY ARE RECOMMENDED TO RECEIVE SERVICES.
AND SO WE PROVIDE IN-HOME VISITATION SERVICES.
UH, I MEAN, IT'S TYPICALLY, I THINK ON AVERAGE, WE SEE ABOUT NINE MONTHS BEING THAT SOFT SPOT.
UM, IT'S MORE OF A PREVENTION MODEL, UH, WHERE WE'RE, AGAIN, THE, THE, THE THING THAT WE'RE REALLY TARGETING IS THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP.
AND SO WE'LL, WE'LL PURPOSELY AND INTENTIONALLY PUT IN DOSAGES OF CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, UM, THINGS LIKE PARENTING GROUP.
UM, WE'LL OFTEN UTILIZE REFLECTION WHEN WE'RE TALKING TO THE PARENT.
THAT WAY WE KIND OF ELIMINATE SOME OF THOSE AMBIGUOUS FEELINGS OF UNKNOWN, BECAUSE I THINK AS PARENTS, I'M ALSO A PARENT OF THREE CHILDREN, YOU'RE WALKING THE PATH AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU, YOU'RE GONNA FEEL LOST AT A CERTAIN POINT, AND IT'S OKAY TO FEEL THAT.
AND I THINK PARENTS NEED THAT PERMISSION TO KNOW THAT IT'S OKAY.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE THE, THE KNOWING OF EVERYTHING IN THIS, THE KNOWLEDGE HOLDER, RIGHT? SO YES, WE DO HAVE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS THAT TARGET OUR BIRTH TO FIVE POPULATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS. MEDRANO.
WELL, I HAD THE QUESTION REGARDING THE COMMUNITIES OF MENTAL HEALTH THAT YOU SERVICE, WHICH MS. IVANA ASKED.
SO IS THERE TALKS MAYBE ABOUT EXPANDING TO OTHER LOCATIONS? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT WAYS TO EXPAND, I THINK, RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE BEHAVIORAL SERVICES ACT.
UM, THEY'RE GRANDFATHERING, DMH IS GRANDFATHERING ALL THE CURRENT, UH, AGENCIES THAT HOLD THO- THOSE CONTRACTS BEFORE THEY OPEN UP THEIR, THEIR RFA PROCESS AGAIN.
BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, EXPANDING INTO NOT JUST METRO LA, BUT SOUTH LA AS WELL.
AND, UM, I'M GLAD THAT I, I MADE IT AND, UH, WELL, I CAME IN TO SAVE THE DAY, SO HERE I AM.
UM, AND I, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU ALL.
I, I THINK IT'S REALLY INCREDIBLE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND AS MR. MCLEAN, I THINK, KICKED OFF THE DISCUSSION WITH, LIKE, IT'S, IT'S JUST CRIMINAL THAT, UH, THAT THIS IS A REALITY THAT OUR BABIES AND OUR KIDS HAVE TO LIVE WITH EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND THAT IN ONE OF THE RICHEST CITIES, UM, IN THE COUNTRY, ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST STATES, I MEAN, WITH AN ECONOMY THAT'S BIGGER THAN MANY COUNTRIES, UM, ON EARTH, THAT A CHILD POVERTY AND CHILD HOMELESSNESS IS SOMETHING THAT WE TOLERATE AND THAT WE DON'T DO ENOUGH ABOUT.
UM, SO I JUST, I APPRECIATE YOU UPLIFTING AND SHARING NOT JUST THE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS THAT YOU ALL ARE PROVIDING, BUT ALSO THAT ALL OF US AS CHILD-SERVING ENTITIES HAVE A ROLE IN BEING AN ADVOCATE FOR THE KIDS AND FAMILIES THAT WE SERVE.
AND WE KNOW THAT IF THEIR BASIC NEEDS ARE NOT BEING MET, WE CAN'T MEET THE ACADEMIC GOALS THAT WE HAVE FOR THEM, UM, AND THAT WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR THE RESOURCES THAT THEY DESERVE.
I APPRECIATE YOU UPLIFTING MEASURE A.
I WONDER IF YOU, UM, BECAUSE WE ARE NOT ALWAYS TRACKING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS, IF YOU COULD JUST EXPLAIN, LIKE, WHAT IS MEASURE A, AND IF WE WANTED TO, UM, LIFT OUR VOICES UP TO ADVOCATE FOR MORE FAMILY FUNDING AND, OR TO PROTECT THAT FAMILY FUNDING, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? IS IT WRITING LETTERS? IS IT GOING TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETINGS? WHAT COULD WE DO TO HELP SUPPORT ON THAT FRONT? YEAH, SO MEASURE A, UH, WAS VOTED LAST NOVEMBER, I BELIEVE, AND THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF ANOTHER MEASURE, UH, THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO SUNSET, UM, IN 2022.
[02:00:02]
AND SO IT'S AN ADDITIONAL, UM, HALF, UH, HALF A CENT TAX ADDED TO, UH, COUNTY RESIDENTS.WELL, THAT, THAT MONEY WILL GO DIRECTLY INTO, UM, HOMELESSNESS, UH, HOMELESS SERVICES, UM, AND, UH, ENSURING SOLUTIONS FOR THE UNHOUSED.
UM, I THINK BECAUSE OF BUDGET DEFICITS ACROSS THE COUNTY AND OF COURSE THE STATE, UM, UH, THOSE, LIKE THOSE SPENDING PLANS ARE STILL IN DRAFT FORM.
AND SO THE OPPORTUNITY THAT, UM, I WAS MENTIONING EARLIER IS THAT, YES, THE LETTERS OF SUPPORT ARE IMPORTANT.
ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, UM, ARE REALLY LEANING INTO IS STRENGTHENING OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR, OUR SUPERVISORS.
SO REPRESENTATIVES, UM, HOLLY MITCHELL'S OFFICE, UM, AND ALSO SOLIS'S OFFICE.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN IN CLOSE COMMUNICATION.
ALSO, I BELIEVE THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH, UH, LA COUNTY, UH, OFFICE OF EDUCATION, SPECIFICALLY DR.
KODKE IS THE, THE GENIUS, UM, IN KNOWING IT ALL AROUND MEASURE A AND WHAT STUDENTS NEED.
UM, AND SO SHE CAN REALLY, UH, BE ABLE TO UNPACK WHAT, WHAT PROGRAMS ARE, MIGHT BE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK IN TERMS OF THE SPENDING PLAN.
BUT I THINK THOSE ARE LIKE SOME IMMEDIATE NEEDS AND SOME IMMEDIATE ADVOCACY EFFORTS, UM, TO SHARE, UM, THIS PAST TUESDAY, UH, PADA ROSENOS DID PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING, UM, WHERE A RESOLUTION AROUND, UM, THE, HOW CAN THE COUNTY BE MORE INTENTIONAL AROUND CALLING OUT AND, UM, CALLING OUT AND PUTTING AND WRITING, UH, FUNDING ALLOCATIONS FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ACROSS THE HOMELESSNESS SYSTEM.
AND SO WE DID PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE RESOLUTION.
UM, AND SO I, THERE IS MOMENTUM THERE.
UM, I DO THINK THAT, UM, THERE'S, UM, I DO THINK THERE, THE, THE TWO RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE, WE DO WANT TO STRENGTHEN, AS I MENTIONED, IS SURVIVOR SOLIS AND HOLLY MITCHELL.
I KNOW THAT SURVISOR SOLIS IS, UM, TRANSITIONING SOON.
HOWEVER, I THINK THAT RELATIONSHIP, UM, CAN BE STRENGTHENED, UM, IN TERMS OF LIKE, JUST LIKE THE ADVOCACY AS WELL.
I THINK THE OTHER PIECES TOO IS THAT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, UH, I, I ALSO BELIEVE LIKE THE HOUSING, UH, THE HOUSE, THE BUILDING OF HOUSING IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE.
UM, THAT'S REALLY AROUND CITY ORDINANCES AND ALL THAT STUFF.
I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF THAT.
I DO THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY THERE TO, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, REALLY BEING ABLE TO BUILD, UM, LARGER UNITS FOR FAMILIES.
AND SO I KNOW THERE IS, UM, THE IMPORTANT PART THERE IS THAT PUBLIC PRIVATE, UH, PARTNERSHIPS ARE AT THE CORE OF THAT.
I THINK THERE IS A NEW, UH, A NEW BUILDING OR A NEW, UH, SPACE BEING BUILT IN DOWNTOWN RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM, UM, HOMEBOYS, UH, HOMEBOYS AND THEN, UH, THE, UH, THE, THE ENDOWMENT THAT'S GONNA HAVE A RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY ON TUESDAY.
AND THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE PUBLIC-PRIVATE, UM, PARTNERSHIP THAT THEY TOOK FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC IN YOUR PUERTO RICOS IS PART OF THE BOARD, UM, COMMITTEE TO INFORM LIKE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND SO THEY REALLY TOOK IN CONSIDERATION THE DESIGN OF WHAT THAT SHOULD LOOK LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, BE A COMMUNITY FEELING.
UM, AND SO I THINK LIKE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UM, WITH OTHER, YOU KNOW, OTHER A- AGENCIES, OTHER ENTITIES IS REALLY CRUCIAL.
AND SO WE'RE ALSO THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE INFORM THAT WORK, UM, THROUGH OUR LENS? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, WELL, WOULD LOVE TO TALK IN MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD AND ALSO THE COMMITTEE CAN DO TO, TO HELP SUPPORT THOSE EFFORTS, BUT APPRECIATE YOU UPLIFTING THOSE VARIOUS ITEMS. UH, JUST TWO MORE QUICK QUESTIONS.
ONE, YOU KNOW, FROM A TRAUMA INFORMED LENS, LIKE I JUST WONDER, YOU KNOW, IN SERVING, UM, OUR FAMILIES WHO ARE GOING THROUGH SO MUCH STRESS AND TRAUMA RELATED TO THESE ISSUES, YOU KNOW, EXACERBATED BY THE ICE RAIDS, ET CETERA, UM, WHAT, WHAT DO EDUCATORS, OUR AIDES, ALL OF THE FOLKS WHO WORK IN OUR EARLY EDUCATION CENTERS NEED TO KNOW TO BE ABLE TO BEST MEET OUR STUDENTS' NEEDS? REALLY APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, FIRST AND FOREMOST, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RELATIONSHIP-BASED UNDERSTANDING, UM, WHO OUR STUDENTS ARE, UNDERSTANDING OUR FAMILIES AND, AND WHAT THOSE NEEDS ARE.
I KNOW WE'VE TAKEN FROM A CURRICULAR APPROACH, LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE CONSCIOUS DISCIPLINE AS A CURRICULUM THAT WE USE FIRST AND FOREMOST TO HELP THE ADULTS TO BE, UH, AWARE AND SELF-REGULATED BECAUSE, UM, IN THE EARLY ED SPACE, RIGHT, LIKE IF I AM A PERSON WHO'S SUPPORTING A LITTLE PERSON AND THAT LITTLE PERSON IS ACTUALLY, I'M BECOMING DYSREGULATED BECAUSE OF THEIR CRYING OR WHATEVER THE SITUATION IS, THEN MY DYSREGULATION IS GOING TO ONLY FURTHER, UH, CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR DYSREGULATION.
AND SO REALLY HELPING THE ADULTS UNDERSTAND THAT WHO WORK
[02:05:01]
DIRECTLY WITH CHILDREN, HOW OUR EMOTIONAL, UH, STATE IMPACTS OUR CHILDREN.THE SECOND PIECE IS THE RELATIONSHIPS WE'VE HEARD, UM, BROADLY WITH FAMILIES.
AND SO WE DO MONTHLY FAMILY DAYS, UM, THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD THINK YOU'RE AT AN ELEMENTARY SITE.
AND SO I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION EARLIER BECAUSE IT'S SUPER ENGAGING.
I THINK AT ONE OF OUR SITES AT VINE, THE END OF YEAR PROJECT'S LIKE, UH, WE HAD A CAR SHOW, AN LA CAR SHOW.
AND SO HOW ARE WE HAVING FUN WITH FAMILIES? HOW ARE WE HAVING, WHICH GETS TO BUILD AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIPS, RIGHT? UM, I KNOW THAT YOU CARE ABOUT ME AS A MOM.
I KNOW YOU CARE ABOUT MY BABY WHEN I LEAVE THEM AND I TRUST THAT THEY'RE SAFE.
UM, SO FROM THE KIND OF THE, THE EDUCATION SIDE OF THE HOUSE, I WOULD SAY THAT'S A BIG PIECE OF IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING ELSE.
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, BY THE WAY.
UM, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO ON THE CLINICAL SIDE, WHICH CATHERINE AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TOO, IS HOW WE INTEGRATE WHAT WE, ONE OF THE, THE MODELS THAT WE UTILIZE, WHICH IS CALLED TOUCHPOINTS.
UM, IT WAS, UH, DEVELOPED BY DR.
UM, AND IT ESSENTIALLY IS LOOKING AT DEVELOPMENTALLY, DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES DIFFERENTLY.
LIKE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT DEVELOPMENTAL MI- MILESTONES, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT WHEN ARE THEY SITTING? WHEN ARE THEY CRAWLING? WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TOUCH POINTS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BETWEEN THOSE SPACES, RIGHT? SO WHEN A CHILD IS LEARNING TO SIT UP, WHAT ARE WE GONNA SEE DIFFERENTLY FROM THAT CHILD? MAYBE THAT CHILD IS NOW NOT GONNA SLEEP AS MUCH.
MAYBE THEY'RE GONNA BE MORE FUSSY WHEN, WHEN THEY EAT.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR FAMILIES OR PARENTS OR CARETAKERS TO UNDERSTAND THESE LITTLE NUANCES.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BUILDING FAMILY CAPACITY, IT'S ALSO UNDERSTANDING THESE PIECES OF DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? A CHILD IS GONNA FLEX A NEW MUSCLE AND THEY MAY REGRESS IN, IN ANOTHER, RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE, WE HEAVILY RELY ON.
THE OTHER PIECE I WOULD WANNA LIFT UP IS HOW WE'RE CHECKING IN WITH STAFF, RIGHT? THAT'S GONNA BE A REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, PART OF THE WORK TOO, BECAUSE WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THE FAMILIES, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STAFF HAS WHAT THEY NEED.
AND SO OFTEN LIKE IN, IN, IN MY WORLD, YOU, YOU KNOW, WE CALL IT CLINICAL SUPERVISION, WE'VE CALLED IT CHECK-IN, BUT WE UTILIZE MORE OF A, A REFLECTIVE PRACTICE APPROACH, RIGHT? WHERE WE'RE DELVING IN AND LOOKING AT WHAT IS COMING UP, WHAT CAUSED US TO MAYBE REACT IN THIS WAY? DID SOMETHING HAPPEN? WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT INTERACTION THAT MAYBE PULLED SOMETHING FROM YOU? IT'S A, IT'S A TIME FOR REFLECTION.
AND AGAIN, THIS HELPS BUILD SOME OF THAT, UH, THOSE PIECES THAT CATHERINE MENTIONED, BUT WE WANNA BE INTENTIONAL IN SUPPORTING STAFF AS WELL.
AND I, AND TO ME, VERY, I THINK IT PARALLELS WITH THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING THROUGH OUR TREE PROGRAM, OUR TRAUMA INFORMED PROGRAM AND OUR EARLY ED CENTERS WHERE, UH, STAFF ARE BEING PROVIDED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP DEVELOP LIKE THOSE SELF-REGULATION SKILLS.
AND WE WANT THEM TO BE WELL TAKEN CARE OF SO THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF OUR BABIES.
UM, AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO BRINGING THOSE PRACTICES TO THE SCHOOL SITES.
OUR PSWS DO, UM, LIKE MONTHLY PARENT WORKSHOPS.
SO IT'S, IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM AND I SEE A LOT OF PARALLELS BETWEEN WHAT YOU'RE SHARING.
UM, I'M ALSO INSPIRED BY THE IDEA OF THE RESOURCE HUBS THAT YOU ALL LIFTED UP.
AND IT'S, I THINK, A BIT CHALLENGING BECAUSE OUR EARLY ED CENTERS HAVE MORE LIMITED STAFF THAN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, FOR EXAMPLE.
THEY DON'T ALWAYS, THEY DON'T HAVE A PARENT CENTER OR A COMMUNITY REP WHO'S THERE STAFFING THAT SIDE.
IT'S LIKE USUALLY THE PRINCIPAL, THE OFFICE MANAGER, THE AIDES, UM, THE TEACHERS AND SOME BUILDING AND GROUND SUPPORT AS WELL.
SO IT'S, IT'S MORE LIMITED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE TYPES OF SUPPORTS, BUT I, I'M INTERESTED IN MAYBE THERE'S A CONNECTION BETWEEN LIKE REGIONAL HUBS THAT WE COULD THINK ABOUT.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE THROUGH OUR BIRTH TO THREE RESOLUTION, A FOCUS ON BABY AND ME SUPPORTS FOR, FOR FAMILIES, UH, WITH KIDS BIRTH AGE FIVE.
SO MAYBE THERE'S A CONNECTION THERE ALSO WITH OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS EFFORTS.
SO, UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SPARKING A LOT OF IDEAS AND INSPIRATION FOR ME, WHICH I'M, I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR.
UM, BUT THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AGAIN.
ANYONE WITH A CLOSING THOUGHT OR QUESTION BEFORE WE TURN TO PUBLIC COMMENT? NO.
LET'S GIVE, UH, ALL OF OUR PRESENTERS A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
[IV. Public Comment]
TURN TO PUBLIC COMMENT, SO I'LL HAND IT OVER TO MR. MCLEAN.WE HAVE 10 FOLKS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY.
I'LL CALL ON THE FOLKS LISTED AS BEING IN PERSON FIRST, AND THEN WE WILL TRANSITION TO THOSE WHO ARE LISTED AS SPEAKING REMOTELY.
MR. DAVID TOKOSKI, COME ON UP.
AND AFTER MS. TOKOSKI, MR. TOKOSKI IS, UH, MS. DIANA GUILLEN, AND THEN CAROL LANDAVERDE.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
UH, THANK YOU FOR ADDING PAOLO LOS NINOS IN THEIR, THEIR EMPHASIS ON MENTAL HEALTH IS, IS SPECTACULAR AND HOPEFULLY THAT, UH, WORK WITH, UH, SEAMLESS WORK WITH 9TH STREET IS PROVIDING 9TH STREET SOME OF THE HELP THAT THEY DO, UM, IN TERMS OF THE SPECIAL ED OR UNDER-REPRESENTATION OF SPECIAL ED IN 9TH STREET AND SO ON.
ALSO THAT THEY ARE ON THE CHILDREN YOUTH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INITIATIVE.
THEY'VE ALREADY, UH, APPLIED AND ARE PURSUING
[02:10:01]
THE MENTAL HEALTH MONEY THAT, UH, DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE CAN GET OF SIGNIFICANCE.TO THE DISTRICT'S PRESENTATION, 2,300 VACANCIES.
UM, I THINK, UH, IT WAS SAID THAT 500 OUT OF THE 10,000 ARE PAYING, THAT'S 5%.
THAT'S NOT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER, AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY IS COMING IN AND AT WHAT RATE.
WHERE DO THESE MONIES GO? DO THEY GO BACK TO THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT DIVISION OR DO THEY GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND? THERE'S NEW MONEY FROM MCKINNEY-VENTO.
IT HASN'T BEEN PRESENTED, I THINK, PUBLICLY OR TO THE BOARD.
MASSIVE INCREASE, I THINK, SIGNIFICANT.
IS IT GOING AS WELL TO THE EARLY ED DIVISION OR IS IT STAYING IN THE GENERAL BUDGET? THE UNFILLED FOUR-HOUR SLOTS THAT WERE MENTIONED, PRINCIPALS, UH, OFTEN HIRE TWO THREE-HOUR SLOTS INSTEAD OF A FOUR.
AND FOR SIX HOURS, THEY GET, UH, A CHEAPER, UH, INVESTMENT.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE FOUR-HOUR BECAUSE IT'S ON THEIR BUDGET, NOT ON DOWNTOWN.
SPECIAL ED, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE DISCUSSION TODAY OF SPECIAL ED WITH RESPECT TO ZERO TO FOUR-YEAR-OLDS.
UH, THE, THE GOVERNOR PUT A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY INTO SPECIAL ED, AND HOPEFULLY THE NEW CONGRESS JANUARY 4TH WILL INITIATE THAT AS WELL.
DID THAT SPECIAL ED MONEY COME TO THE EARLY ED, SPECIAL ED, THE OUTREACH? AND THEN FINALLY, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS THAT THE CITY COUNCILS AND COUNCIL PEOPLE AND SUPERVISORS HAVE.
AND FINALLY, MISSION COLLEGE AND EAST LA COLLEGE WOULD BE WONDERFUL PLACES TO PILOT THE GROWTH OF THE EMPLOYEES.
UH, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN, AND THEN IT'S MS. CAROLANDAVERDE.
MS. GIEN'S GONNA SPEAK IN SPANISH, SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT SHE'S SAYING IN ENGLISH AS SHE'S SPEAKING IN SPANISH, PLEASE PUT YOUR HANDS UP AND WE WILL GET YOU THESE TRANSLATION HEADSETS.
THEY SHOULD BE IN FRONT OF YOU.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE, LET ME KNOW AND I'LL GET YOU ONE.
OH YEAH, YOU JUST SLAP IT ON AND IT'LL, IT'LL ACTIVATE AND YOU SHOULD BE READY TO GO.
GOD AFTERNOON, MY NAME IS AND I REPRESENT THE PARENT MEMBERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOLS AND I AM HERE TO REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY.
THIS FRANKLIN SCHOOL COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT YESTERDAY YESTERDAY THERE WAS AN INCIDENT A STUDENT JUMPED FROM THE FOURTH FLOOR.
HOW MANY MORE, MS. KELLY GONEZ, WILL YOU WAIT FOR SO THAT YOU CAN REMOVE SCHOOL POLICE? HOW MUCH HAS TO HAPPEN BECAUSE OUR STUDENTS ARE SUFFERING AND WE DON'T NEED YOUR RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAMS. TEACHERS HAVE COME HERE TO SAY THAT THAT'S NOT WORKING, PUTTING IN DANGER THE LIFE OF NOT JUST TEACHERS, BUT THE STUDENTS AS WELL.
AND IT IS GROSS TO SEE HOW YOU ARE MAKING THIS HAPPEN AND ESPECIALLY FOR YOURSELF.
IT'S NOT FOR YOU, IT'S FOR THE COMMUNITY, THE PARENT COMMUNITY.
WE ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE TO REUNITE AND PROTEST AGAINST YOU BECAUSE THE ONLY THING THAT YOU ARE DOING IS PUTTING OUR CHILDREN IN DANGER.
MS. ROSIA RIVAS, AND THAT'S HER SCHOOL WHERE...
MS. DANIA ORTIZ, THE OTHER DAY, THERE WAS A MOTHER WHO CAME HERE AND SAID THAT THEY HAD MADE HER, HER SON EAT CANDIES WITH FENTANYL.
AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT, THE ONLY THING THAT THEY SAID, LET'S TAKE A PICTURE WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THIS.
AND THIS CHILD IS AT THE HOSPITAL AS WE SPEAK AND YOU DON'T CARE BECAUSE ALL YOU WANT ARE THE FUNDS THAT GENERATE FOR THE SCHOOLS.
SHE HAS HER PROGRAMS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND SAFETY IS BASED ON THE COMMUNITY.
HOW MANY MORE CHILDREN NEED TO DIE IN THIS DISTRICT SO THAT YOU CAN BEGIN TO DO SOMETHING AND LISTEN TO THE PARENTS.
KNOW THAT WE NEED SCHOOL POLICE.
THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED, MS. GONEZ, BUT YOU, YOU COMPLETE, YOU CONTINUE TO PUTTING THIS, TO PUT THIS IN A STABILIZATION PLAN AND CUT SCHOOL POLICE.
WHY? BECAUSE YOU DON'T NEED THIS.
BUT IT'S OKAY IF STUDENT JUMP FROM THE FOURTH FLOOR.
OH, SURELY THEY WILL SAY, "OH, HE HAD A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE." NO.
THERE'S A DISCIPLINE PROBLEM INSIDE THE SCHOOL.
AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IS NOT WORKING AT ALL.
NEXT SPEAKER IS CAROLANDA VERDE.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
WELL, GOOD TO SEE EVERYONE AGAIN.
I THINK THE SUPERINTENDENT IS MISSING.
THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT IS MISSING.
UNFORTUNATELY, IS NOT MR. ALBERTO CAL - CARBALLO.
HE WAS A GREAT SUPERINTENDENT.
WE ALL NEED TO ELEVATE OURSELVES IN
[02:15:01]
CALIFORNIA.WE SEE A LOT OF STUPIDITY THAT'S GOING ON AND THAT THEY ARE, THEY CONTINUE TO DO IN THE DISTRICT.
AND I SAY THIS SO THE PEOPLE CAN HEAR THAT ARE DOING THEIR WORK, THE WORK RIGHT.
THEY ARE GETTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
THE BOARD MEMBERS AREN'T DOING ANYTHING.
PROFANITY, I APOLOGIZE FOR SAYING IT THIS WAY, AND I DON'T CARE IF YOU NOTE THIS, MS. KELLY GONEZ, BECAUSE THE STUPIDITY THAT YOU'RE DOING, CHILDRENS THAT ARE DYING, BUT YOU PLACE BEAUTIFUL PROGRAMS. LISTEN TO ME.
ONE DAY, WE WILL SIGN AND WE WILL TAKE YOU TO JAIL, ESPECIALLY YOU, IF YOU DON'T DO YOUR WORK APPROPRIATELY.
BECAUSE ON NOVEMBER 3RD, WE HAVE VOTE.
WE DO, WE ARE VOTING AND I'M A CITIZEN OF THIS STATE.
AND WE WILL REUNITE WITH THOUSANDS OF PARENTS THAT ARE AGAINST THIS POLICY, THIS DISTRICT POLICY.
YOU DON'T HAVE FUNDS AND ONE PIECE OF PAPER PROFANITY AND THE SPEECH AT THE SCHOOL STAR KING WHERE THERE ARE MORE THAN 2,000 CHILDREN AND THE DISTRICT HAS NO FUNDS FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE DOWN.
AND THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST SITTING HERE.
YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH DEBT THE DISTRICT IS IN.
IF I NEED TO SPEAK WITH THE PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, I WILL DO SO.
IF WE NEED TO REMOVE PEOPLE AND FOR THE FBI TO BE HERE ONCE AGAIN TO SEE IF YOU ARE DOING YOUR JOB APPROPRIATELY, ALL THE TRASH NEEDS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE DISTRICT.
CHILDREN ARE DYING AND YOU ARE DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT.
THERE ARE NO FUNDS, YOU'RE IN DEBT.
WHAT POVERTY IT IS THAT WE HAVE IN THE DISTRICT AND UNITED STATES.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MARIA DAISY ORTIZ.
MS. ORTIZ, I SEE YOU'RE ONLINE WITH US.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
UH, MS. ORTIZ IS GONNA SPEAK IN SPANISH, SO KEEP THOSE HEADSETS ON IF YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT SHE'S SAYING IN ENGLISH.
I AM FEELING COMPETENT BECAUSE, BECAUSE OF THE NEGLIGENCE THAT MS. TANYA, THAT MS. THAT MR. NICK MELVOY, BECAUSE THEY ARE AGAINST SCHOOL POLICE TO BE INSIDE THE SCHOOLS, THIS LOSS OF A STUDENT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THE NEGLIGENCE AND THEN THE INCOMPETENCE OF YOU ALL.
YOU ARE THE RESPONSIBLE ONES BECAUSE INS - THIS HAPPENED INSIDE.
YOU PAY MANY POSITIONS THAT NO ONE SUPERVISES AND YOU AREN'T DOING YOUR JOB.
WHERE? WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO, THE SAFE PASSAGES, PEOPLE WHO TAKE CARE OF THE STUDENTS, SURELY THAT OUR STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOLS AREN'T SAFE IF...
NOW TELL ME WHAT ARE YOU GONNA TELL THE PARENT OF THIS CHILD THAT WAS UNALIVED AT FRANKLIN SCHOOLS.
YOU ARE THE REAL, THE ONES THAT ARE KILLING OUR STUDENTS.
YOU ARE USING YOUR POSITION TO FOLLOW IT, TO CONTINUE WITH THE CORRUPTION.
AND I BELIEVE THAT EACH AND ONE OF YOU, INCLUDING, INCLUDING ROSIO RIVAS, TELL ME ROCIO RIVAS.
WHAT ARE YOU GONNA TELL THE HIGHLAND PARK COMMUNITY? YOU DON'T LISTEN TO THE PARENTS.
THANK YOU AND HAVE A GREAT AFTERNOON.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS KARINA LOPEZ.
MS. LOPEZ, I SEE YOU'RE ON THE LINE WITH US.
PLEASE PRESS * SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF, AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
MS. LOPEZ, I SEE YOU'RE WITH US.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO JESSE ROSAS.
UH, JESSE ROSAS, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF, AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
JESSE ROSAS, I SEE YOU'RE WITH US.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
LET'S GO TO, UH, MARCELLA GARCIA.
MARCELA GARCIA, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF, AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
[02:20:01]
AFTERNOON TO ALL.MY NAME IS MARICELA GARCIA, MOTHER OF, OF, OF A STUDENT FROM FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M SHOWING MY WORRINESS, BUT MORE THAN SO, WE ARE LIVING THIS.
WE ARE LIVING A LOSS OF A STUDENT.
WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT? YOU ARE REMOVING ALL THE RESOURCES AND THIS IS A HUGE SCHOOL AND THEY NEED PERSONNEL.
THE PRINCIPAL NEEDS HELP, NEEDS YOUR HELP.
WHAT DO YOU WANT? DO YOU WANT HER TO TELL YOU, "I NEED YOUR HELP? YOU'RE SEEING IT.
WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE THERE." AREN'T YOU SEEING THE MAGNITUDE OF THE NEGLIGENCE THAT YOU ARE COMMITTING BECAUSE YOU'RE REMOVING RESOURCES, BECAUSE YOU'RE ADDING, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ADDING TO YOUR PAYCHECK AND YOU ARE NOT ADDING THIS TO THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE TAKING THIS, ARE TAKING LIVES AWAY? PLEASE, WE NEED MORE PERSONNEL AT THE SCHOOLS WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF BULLYING, MAINLY, PLEASE.
THE MOTHERS WERE SAYING YESTERDAY, "POLICE OFFICER ARE JUST HERE 10 MINUTES, 20 MINUTES." AND I SAID, "YOU KNOW WHY?" "BECAUSE THERE WAS A CUT OF POLICE OFFICERS.
THEY NEED TO PATROL MANY SCHOOLS.
"AND I ASKED AN OFFICER, I SAID," OFFICER, TELL ME WHY, WHY AREN'T THERE ENOUGH OFFICERS? "HE SAID," WE ONLY HAVE A FEW OFFICERS AROUND HERE, UH, BECAUSE THERE WAS A CUT.
US PARENTS ARE SAYING, AND PARENTS ARE SAYING THAT THEY SEE THAT THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT REPRESENT US.
I TOLD MY CHIL - I TOLD MY CHILDREN, NO ONE ASKED.
THE CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS WERE AT THE BOARD SAYING THAT THEY REPRESENT PARENTS, AND I WASN'T EVEN AWARE THAT SOMEONE WAS PRESENTING ME, REPRESENTING ME.
MANY PARENTS WERE SAYING," WHO IS REPRESENTING US? WHO TOLD THEM THAT WE WANTED SCHOOL POLICE AWAY FROM THE SCHOOLS? "MOTHERS WERE CRYING, ASKING EACH OTHER," WHO? "VIVIAN DELEON.
UM, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, A STUDENT IS DEAD.
A STUDENT AT BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL WAS REPORTEDLY INVOLVED IN A TERRIFYING BULLYING INCIDENT.
A FACT THAT THE TEACHER GOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIGHT, BUT THE INCIDENT WAS ALLEGEDLY NOT PROPERLY REPORTED, AND THE BULLYING DID NOT STOP.
THAT STUDENT WAS SO AFRAID WHEN HE SAW THE BULLY FOLLOWING HIM THAT HE JUMPED FROM THE FOURTH FLOOR AND DIED.
A STUDENT WENT TO SCHOOL AND NEVER CAME HOME.
HOW MANY MORE STUDENTS HAVE TO DIE BEFORE YOU BRING BACK SCHOOL POLICE? PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL TRUSTING YOU TO PROTECT THEM.
STUDENTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BEING BULLIED, ATTACKED, OR LEFT UNPROTECTED WHILE ADULTS FAIL TO ACT.
IF THE REPORTS ARE ACCURATE, THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES TO INTERVENE.
THERE WAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT, AND THE RESPONSIBILITY ULTIMATELY BELONGS TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.
YOU CONTROL THE POLICIES AND RES - AND RESOURCES THAT DETERMINE HOW OUR SCHOOLS PROTECT OUR STUDENTS.
SO I'M ASKING YOU TODAY, HOW MANY MORE FAMILIES MUST BURY THEIR CHILDREN BEFORE YOU BRING BACK SCHOOL POLICE? WE DON'T NEED ANY MORE CONDOLENCES FROM YOU AFTER A STUDENT DIES.
WE NEED ACTION BEFORE, BEFORE ANOTHER STUDENT DIES.
OUR STUDENTS DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE AT SCHOOL, AND YOU OWE THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES NOTHING LESS.
ROSIA RIVAS, WHAT IF THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN YOUR CHILD? LET THAT SINK IN.
ERICA FABIAN, I SEE YOU'RE SIGNING UP TO SPEAK REMOTELY, BUT YOU ARE NOT SIGNED IN ONLINE.
ERICA FABIAN, ARE YOU IN THE ROOM? NO? ALL RIGHT.
THEN I WILL TRY, UH, JESSE ROSAS ONE MORE TIME.
JESSE ROSAS, UH, PLEASE PRESS * SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF, AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I'M PART OF THE NOISE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION.
AND RE - IN REALITY, WE CONCERN ABOUT THE ISSUES AND CONCERNS OF THE SCHOOL HAVING VERY...
IT'S VERY CLOSE TO THE BUSINESS CORRIDOR.
AND MATTER OF FACT, WE, WE TALK ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO REFERRING TO THE PREVIOUS PR - UH, A DIRECTOR IN WHICH IT WAS REMOVED, AND NOW WE HAVE A NEW DIRECTOR, BUT THEY STILL NEED TO HAVE SAFETY THAT WE HAVE THE GROUPS
[02:25:01]
THAT PRETENDING THEY, THEY TAKE CARE OF THE KIDS ON THE STREETS.SO I THINK YOU HAVE TO CONCENTRATE AND BRING THE, THIS PROTECTION OF THE KIDS, WHICH IS BRING THE POLICE ON THE SIDES OF THE SCHOOL AND GET PARENTS WORKSHOPS.
WHY THIS HAPPENING? YOU KNOW, I THINK SO THE, UH, PEOPLE ON THE DISTRICTS NOT DOING THEIR JOB.
THEY ELIMINATE THE PA- PARENTS' PARTICIPATION, THE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION, AND THIS IS WHAT THE RESULTS HAPPEN.
I THINK SO ONE FAMILY LOSING A CHILD IS TOO MUCH.
IT'S NOT SUP - NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IF YOU BRING THAT TO THE OTHER COMMUNITIES, THEY GOT MORE ANGLOS KIDS, PROBABLY THEY WILL BE...
RIGHT NOW, THEY WILL RAISE AN ISSUE.
AND RIGHT NOW, YOU GUYS, THEY DON'T CARE AS MUCH FOR THIS, FOR THE SPANISH COMMUNITY.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE RESULTS.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
[III. Closing Remarks]
AGAIN, I THANK EVERYONE FOR JOINING US FOR OUR MEETING, ESPECIALLY OUR NEW MEMBERS.UM, WE WILL BE MEETING AGAIN ON NOVEMBER 12TH, 2026 AT 11:00 AM, AND, UM, I KNOW THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT THE RESOLUTION.
WE WILL GET AN UPDATE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RESOLUTION AT THAT TIME, AS WELL AS TALKING ABOUT THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT FUND AND OUR BUDGET FOR OUR EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR DAY.