Youth and Family Services business breaks ground on Expansion Project

Ground breaking of David & Margaret Youth and Family Services’ expansion project. (Photo Courtesy: Julie Griffith)

By Julie Griffith

La Verne – David & Margaret Youth and Family Services formally broke ground Jan. 29 on a project more than seven years in the making – one that will increase by nearly 30 percent the supportive permanent housing available to youth who are transitioning out of foster care and into independence, and make the agency one of the largest supportive communities for former foster youth in Los Angeles County.

“When foster children reach age 18, they become legal adults, begin ‘aging out’ of the foster care system, and are considered transitional age youth,” says Chief Executive Officer, Charles Rich. “Without supportive families, they face challenges no youth should have to face alone. Most parents know how hard it is today for a youth to get an education, find a job, make a home and build a family, even with family support. Imagine how much more difficult it is without it!”

The two critical challenges facing these youth are securing safe, affordable housing and gaining workplace skills so they can get and hold a job to support themselves. Without these two resources, they are prey to drugs, crime, violence and homelessness – taking from, rather than adding to, our societal resources.

To help meet these challenges, the agency is creating three new facilities. One is Cedar Springs, which will provide 25 permanent supportive apartment homes for transitional age youth. This “village” will consist of three attractive two-story buildings in a garden-like setting and will feature a community center where residents can train, study, learn, socialize and take part in programs of interest. The facility will be open to placements for youth from Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and local surrounding counties.

The project will include a Youth Work-Force Training Center that will provide training opportunities for these youth, who can move toward self-reliance by working and gaining skills in a real store and café. A training lab will provide a place to focus on independent living skills and job readiness with a capacity for up to 20 youth at a time, or 80 to 100 during the course of a week. It will include work stations, computer hook-ups, a smart TV for training videos, an area for books and resource materials, and an office for counseling, training, mentoring or practicing interview skills with video review.

There also will be a Transitional Youth Resource Center in renovated space in an adjacent existing building. It will provide these youth, particularly those living in off campus apartments, a safe place to congregate and “hang out” with their peers. Up to eight supportive staff offices will also be present, allowing staff accessibility to youth for support, coaching and training. It will feature computers for job search, preparation and submission of resumes, applying to colleges or training programs; an area for resource materials, a lending wardrobe and dressing room to facilitate proper attire for interviews, safe recreational and free time use, and kitchen facilities and meal area, with healthy snacks available.

David & Margaret Youth and Family Services serves more than 1,000 clients annually through a comprehensive range of services, including a residentially-based program for adolescent girls, shelter care for adolescent girls, a foster family agency, adoption assistance, mental health services,  treatment for learning disabilities, transitional living programs, school- and community-based education and mentoring programs. Additionally, it has a chemical dependency program that is certified by the State of California for residents who are recovering from substance abuse.  Joan Macy School, a specialized non-public, on-grounds school, serves agency residents, as well as students referred from surrounding school districts.

For more information on the Cedar Springs expansion project, contact the David & Margaret Development Department at (909) 596-5921, ext. 3226; or visit http://www.DavidandMargaret.org.