As we move into fall and settle into a new school year, I am grateful to share with you some moments of joy and connection from the first quarter of our fiscal year. From celebrating the hard-earned accomplishments of the amazing youth we serve to gathering with friends at Imagine! 2026, there is so much to look back on with appreciation. Thank you for helping make these moments possible.
One of those moments came when we gathered at the CASA house to celebrate a young person’s birthday. He wanted to handle the decorating himself, putting up banners and blowing up balloons. He cut slices of cake for everyone but saved the biggest slice for himself. With steady compassion and support from his Advocate, he is on his way to successfully completing probation and sealing his record, and we are so proud of him. It was wonderful to share this day with him and a reminder that, it is so important to make room for all youth to have space and time to just be kids.
We have also had plenty to celebrate as children head back to school. Through our Truancy Program, Advocates are working tirelessly with students and families to address barriers to attendance, offering the encouragement and individualized support they need to reconnect with their education. We also distributed backpacks provided by the County Office of Education and United Way’s Stuff the Bus.
We are grateful for their generosity and for the many ways our community partners have supported children and families this quarter. Our continuing education session with Kidpower equipped Advocates with new communication tools. In addition, it was a pleasure to bring families together at an event we held at Horse Whisperers, where they enjoyed riding and spending time with horses. We are also excited to have strengthened our partnerships with Walnut Avenue and Monarch Services through operational agreements that will help us work more closely together so families can find support when they need it.
The quarter also gave us a chance to come together and celebrate at Imagine! It was such a treat to reconnect with old friends and welcome new ones. Hearing the young story of one young person made the evening especially meaningful, and I am grateful to them for sharing that part of their lives with us. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped fill the evening with warmth, generosity, and hope for the children and youth at the heart of our work.
Last quarter, we served 113 children and youth:
19% were aged 0-5
19% were aged 6-11
49% were aged 12-18
13% were over the age of 18
62% of children and youth served this quarter were Hispanic or Latino
52% were in Dependency Care, 27% were in Juvenile Justice, 4% were in Truancy Court, 1% were in more than one court (dual status), and 16% were served through our Enhanced Care Management program
12 were new to our programs
Please watch for our upcoming Impact Report, which will share more about what your support made possible in fiscal year 2025/26.
Thank you for being part of that community and for caring so deeply about the children and families we serve. Your generosity helps ensure they have someone celebrate all their amazing accomplishments with.
