Thriving Families. Brighter Futures

THRIVING FAMILIES. BRIGHTER FUTURES. ST. ANNE’S ANNUAL REPORT 2016 GREAT THINGS START AT ST. ANNE’S. our vision our mission THRIVING FAMILIES. BRIGHTER FUTURES. Working together to build safe, nurturing and resilient families—from pregnancy to parenthood and childhood to adulthood—for generations to come. ON OUR CAMPUS DETERMINED TO BE ST. ANNE’S SELF-RELIANT RESIDENTIAL 76 teenagers 38 babies TREATMENT PROGRAM assists pregnant or parenting Independence. That is Mykea’s 13- to 18-year olds who are in dream. With St. Anne’s help, she is the foster care system and their well on her way. 96% children. Our safe housing enrolled in and intensive services enable Mykea went into foster care at age 2 because her mother school teen mothers to break the used drugs. Mykea moved from home to home until, at generational cycle of abuse and age 4, she was placed with her grandmother. But things neglect and achieve stability. did not go well. “It was terrible,” Mykea recalls. “Even though it was family, I was always treated differently than the other kids, always given less.” At age 17, Mykea left her grandmother’s home and entered an independent living program that concluded OUR TRANSITIONAL when she was 21. But she could not find housing, forcing her to move from one friend’s home to another. Then 94 women HOUSING PROGRAM 111 children is one of a very few programs she became pregnant. that offers transitional housing “I was looking for work. I was sick. I was tired. I was for pregnant or parenting so depressed,” Mykea says. “After so many months of former foster youth, ages 18 to She had a home for herself and her Karen Barajas, a St. Anne’s family “I know all the girls look up to me, 66% searching, when I was six-and-a-half months pregnant, 24, and their children. Through raised their I found a notice about St. Anne’s Transitional Housing baby. Khloe was born in 2016. advocate, praises Mykea’s achievement: not because I am perfect, but because income stable housing on our campus Program on a bulletin board.” “She’s maintained full-time, permanent I stayed focused,” she says. “They ask and comprehensive services, “I never thought I was going to be able employment for almost a year. Stable young mothers find work or Though she was scared and alone, Mykea was relieved to take care of a child and work,” says me questions. I feel like a big sister. I pursue education that increases when her application to live at St. Anne’s was approved. employment is an important goal Mykea. “My therapist at St. Anne’s told love that feeling. I give good advice. their self-sufficiency and leads in the Transitional Housing That makes me feel good about to permanent housing. me, ‘You’re strong. You came so far. Program. Lots of girls You can do it.’” myself.” have challenges St. Anne’s Workforce Development getting or keeping Soon, Mykea will OUR WORKFORCE SHE FEELS DEVELOPMENT program also was instrumental. employment.” BLESSED leave St. Anne’s 113 young PROGRAM helps young “Workforce helped me get an for permanent women women emerging from the One-and-a-half years internship. They gave me leads to jobs. housing. “St. Anne’s foster care system acquire old, Khloe is thriving They helped with my résumé. They helped me become work skills and employment in St. Anne’s Early Learning 75% gave me an extra push to keep going experience. The program independent,” she says. “I’m completed Center. “Khloe is learning her provides a workforce and not give up,” Mykea says. Her internship and numbers and talking a lot,” say Mykea. ready. I’m excited. I’m not are working or curriculum designed for foster determination got Mykea a full-time in school youth, paid internships and nervous. I feel blessed.” job in customer service for an airport Mykea’s generosity and willingness to one-on-one support, which lead to meaningful, sustainable shuttle company. help has made an impact on others. employment. 1 ANNUAL REPORT 2016 2 IN OUR CENTERS PARENT LEADER ST. ANNE’S EARLY EXTRAORDINAIRE 1,377 LEARNING CENTERS children promote development and Lidia Estrada’s jobs in community school readiness for low- health take her to schools and income children ages 0 to community centers where she 5. The licensed centers use 6 sees the challenge of getting busy a proven curriculum to early learning parents involved. “I said to myself centers prepare children for school— academically, emotionally and that when I had an opportunity, I socially—giving them the tools would do my part,” Lidia says. for long-term success. Her opportunity came when no one volunteered to be We also provide home-based president of the parent committee at St. Anne’s Head early learning services to Start program at Roselake Early Learning Center, where low-income children and Lidia’s daughter, 3-year-old Devi, had just enrolled. “I parents. St. Anne’s specialists hesitated because of my work,” remembers Lidia. “But I visit parents and children decided to make it work.” in their homes to promote healthy child development and Lidia did so much more than make it work! After her preparation for preschool and year as president, she joined the policy council for kindergarten. all of St. Anne’s Early Learning Centers. Because of her leadership skills, her fellow parents elected her to represent St. Anne’s on the Head Start when a staff member who was doing Brenda Sandoval, St. Anne’s parent policy council run by the Los Angeles in-person recruiting stopped David involvement coordinator, says County Office of Education. on the street. “My husband was going that Lidia has grown as a leader to college, so we were a single-income in her volunteer roles. “She shines On the LACOE policy council, Lidia household,” says Lidia. “St. Anne’s throughout the program and beyond,” says, “It was nice to be with other provided great quality says Brenda. Devi is entering parents from all over the county education at no cost first grade, but Lidia who were advocating for children. when we thought we continues to share It was humbling to think that might not be able to resources with Brenda thousands of children were SHE BECAME A afford it.” to benefit St. Anne’s benefitting from our work.” LEADER families. Going through old Personally, Lidia and her husband, papers with her mother, St. Anne’s is thankful to David, saw the impact of Head Start on Lidia recently learned have had Lidia as a committed Devi. “I could tell she knew more than she attended Head Start, as did parent leader. Lidia adds, “I am other kids her age who were not in an David. Both the Estradas have earned grateful through St. Anne’s that I could early education program,” Lidia says. college degrees, so one could say that find an active role in my community, The Estradas found out about Head Start really worked for the whole doing what I can for the well-being of St. Anne’s Early Learning Centers family! children.” 3 ANNUAL REPORT 2016 4 IN THE COMMUNITY “THE GIRLS AT THE FUN ST. ANNE’S MENTAL PLACE” AID A FAMILY HEALTH SERVICES 281 adults and provides individual, family Maria Alcaraz heard the children and group therapy to low- income families in our housing heartbreaking sound of a baby programs and the community. crying next door. She entered the Our highly trained clinicians apartment and found baby Ryan, 81% deliver individualized, met 1+ goal just a few months old, in a closet. responsive services. His parents were incapacitated by drugs, and he was being severely neglected. Maria called the police and took Ryan to her home. 44 OUR PARTNERSHIPS adults and FOR FAMILIES Maria and her husband, Ricardo, fell in love with Ryan. children provides in-home counseling and “We wanted to adopt him from a very early age,” says support to at-risk children Maria, “and his mother would tell us we could adopt, 91% better and families in our residential then change her mind. It caused us a lot of stress and understand programs and in the anxiety.” Maria and Ricardo helped Ryan’s family by child community. raising the boy. development When Ryan was 5 years old, the Department of Children OUR WRAPAROUND and Family Services learned of the arrangement. DCFS APPROACH SERVICES approved Maria and Ricardo as foster parents and enrolled them in St. Anne’s Wraparound Approach 185 helps families navigate crises services at the end of 2014. adults and by providing them with a help Ryan, a peer parent partner for meaning of adoption and separating attendance awards from school children four-person treatment team Maria and Ricardo, and a facilitator to from his biological family. A team of four St. Anne’s staff worked with the family: a hang next to his Wraparound that delivers integrated ensure the family received integrated When he visited his birth mental health therapist, a child and family specialist to graduation certificate. “He services. With support from care. family, he would often always asks if we could 95% the team, family members act out. Wraparound THEY GAVE please go see ‘The girls met goals develop strategies to overcome “Wraparound was able to speed helped Maria and HIM HIS challenges and develop up the adoption process with Ricardo learn FOREVER at the fun place,’” says problem-solving and coping Ryan,” says Ricardo. “Our family effective strategies to HOME Maria, referring to St.

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