Hathaway-Sycamores

As leaders of organizations that serve children, youth and families who have come to the attention of child welfare, special education, juvenile justice and behavioral health systems, we have seen firsthand the successes and failures of the public agencies responsible for the care of California’s most vulnerable and at-risk children and youth.

The problems that forced the closure of the Children and Youth Welcome Centers in Los Angeles are not limited to the state’s largest county. Though there is some variation in how California counties deal with housing the children who enter their child welfare system, the pressure to recruit an adequate supply of foster families and address the needs of hard-to-place youth are persistent issues throughout the state.

During a recent St. Anne’s meeting for pregnant and parenting teenagers in Los Angeles, seven students learned the difference between a resume and a cover letter. It is a particularly important distinction for these young women, all between the ages of 15 and 18, who are trying to juggle parenting and high school with their eventual careers.

As we reported last week, Los Angeles County’s child protection administration plans on closing two 24-hour shelters for abused children and youth next month. The impending closure is significant in that both the Children’s and Youth Welcome Centers were initially heralded as positive steps toward stabilizing traumatized children during the fitful first hours after being removed from their families’ homes.