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2 0 1 2 WESTS I D E
CHILDREN’S center
ne ws letter
B OA R D O F D I R E C T O R S
F O UN D E R
L e zlie Jo h n so n
C H A I R PE R S O N
M ar ianna F i sh e r
VICE CHAIRPERSON
Kar e n S m ith E l st a d , E sq .
further government cuts to all of
knowledge of best practices in the
development. Our staff is better
regularly work with 100 families a
our programs due to the recession,
field of early education today.
able to achieve both of these goals
month. Although children entering
with the deeper understanding
child protective services are more
of child development they gained
likely to be very young, there are
through this training. This ability
smaller spikes of reports of maltreatment
to empower parents with tools and
for teenagers. As you will see from the
strategies to help support their
interview, we provide services to meet
child’s development is even more
the needs of families with older children
critical given that the risk of reported
as well. In each instance, our approach
maltreatment is by far the greatest
is to combine clinical expertise with
for young children. In 2011, over 41%
relationship-based case management
of all substantiated cases of child
that draws from a broad range of family
abuse and neglect in LA County were
and community partners.
we are determined to provide more
Heather Carrigan
Executive Director
professional development and seek
out opportunities to encourage
learning and curiosity within the
agency. All in pursuit of providing the
SE C R E TA RY
G lo r ia Wald i n ge r, D SW
T R E AS U R E R
A ndr ew H arwo o d , C PA
2
A DV I S O RY C O U N C I L
N e al H alfo n , M D, M P H
Jo Kapla n , E sq .
Te r r y O ga wa
A nne Ra k u n a s
A nnie Ro s e n b e rge r
Tracey S t e ve n s, E sq .
A r ne tta Vann u k i -N o t k i n
Kathle e n We st , D rP H
A de le Ye l l i n
E M E R I TA E
Kar e n B e l l C ox
N anc y E n g l a n d e r
C athe r ine M c N a me e
N anc y M o o n ve s
C he r y l S a b a n
L o r raine S h e i n b e rg
EXEC UT IVE D I R E C TO R
H e athe r C a rri ga n
high-quality early education to the
children in our child development
programs because they understand
the stakes. By the time they enter
kindergarten, low-income children
We have lots to report
from the year so far.
in our care.
We seized one such opportunity
quality programs are typically 12-14
It might seem impracticable that
when Teach For America (TFA) invited
months behind national norms in
in a time of continued economic
us to host its summer institute for its
language and pre-reading skills. This
uncertainty and scarce resources,
early education teaching corp. Our
school readiness gap accelerates the
we made a commitment to focus on
Early Education Center is buzzing
achievement gap – the divide begins
quality. Our reasoning was twofold.
with activity as 24 TFA Corp members
early and compounds rapidly.
Research from both fields we
receive training in pedagogy and
inhabit, child development and child
teaching strategies in our model
welfare, assert that the most fragile
classrooms. Our teachers are excited
children need the most skilled service
by this opportunity to mentor new-
providers -- and it goes without saying
to-the-profession teachers and gain
that the families we serve have been
exposure to the TFA instructional
made even more fragile with the
program.
economic downturn. Secondly, as
our staff continues to work in the
context of more dire need and less
government support, they deserve
the support they need to be the most
effective they can be. There is no
greater reward than the satisfaction of
making a difference, especially for our
dedicated staff who have committed
themselves to the work of supporting
children and strengthening families.
Therefore, even as we experience
who are denied access to high-
Stuart Youth Fund, we have also been
of children who died from abuse and
able to provide increased professional
neglect were not yet four years old
development opportunities to our
(HHS, ACYF 2009).
child welfare team. All of the staff
from each of our five Department of
Children and Family Services (DCFS)
Family Foundation (who provided
certified) in Brazelton Touchpoints,
funding specifically for the professional
a theory of child development that
development of our early education
helps illuminate the regressions
staff) as well as portions of the
and disorganization that accompany
generous core operating funding the
children’s normal developmental
California Community Foundation,
spurts from birth until six years old.
Foundation and Weingart Foundation,
we have already held ten Saturday
trainings to deepen our team’s
of the Lucile Packard Foundation for
Children’s Health). Nationally, 75%
programs were trained (and are now
Foundation, The Ralph M. Parsons
years old (www.kidsdata.org, a project
Thanks to a grant from the Dwight
Because of the support of the Atlas
Capital Group Companies Charitable
perpetrated on children under five
The ultimate goals of each and every
one of our child welfare staff are
the same: to enhance parenting
and to support healthy childhood
In these difficult and uncertain
economic times, our efforts have
intensified. Staff is engaged and
excited about developing even more
effective skills to meet the everincreasing needs of the families
with whom we work. Your support
Aside from letting you know what
makes all the difference and is what
we’re up to as the year progresses, one
distinguishes us from programs that
goal of our newsletter is to share a few
have not been able to adapt.
real stories so you can see in greater
detail the work your support makes
Thank you for that support.
possible. On pages 4-5, you can read
about the emotional support our staff
provided a mother in the context of our
Early Head Start (EHS) home-visitor
child development program.
On pages 8-9, we share an interview
with a family from our Family
Preservation program, where we
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Heather Carrigan
2012 Newsletter
Westside Children’s Center
L o r e na B a rri e n t o s
C ar la D u M a n o i r
Je nnif e r Min t z E i d i n ge r
A dr ie nne G ra n t
M ic hae l G re e n
A nn Kro n e n
Go r do n L e e
A m e r ica M e z a
S us an N ew i r t h
best possible service to the children
Our staff is committed to providing
tep into Claudia’s living room and
you’re immediately surrounded by
the smiles of her young children. They’re
excited because one of their favorite
weekly guests has arrived – Chantel, a
home visitor from our Early Head Start
program at Westside Children’s Center.
Chantel plops down her bag full of toys
and lessons and enthusiastically greets
each child.
4
Westside Children’s Center
H earts and
hom e
Consisting of weekly hour-and-a-halflong visits, the Early Head Start Home
Visitor Program integrates developmentally appropriate learning activities into
children’s daily lives, while encouraging
active parent involvement. Home visitors, such as Chantel, also help parents
keep track of doctor appointments,
make healthy nutrition choices, and
monitor the children’s development.
Over a year ago, when Claudia applied
for the program on the referral of a
friend, she says she wasn’t sure what
to expect. Chantel was assigned the
family and says as she began working
with them, she noticed Claudia’s visibly growing belly. Eventually, Claudia
revealed she was pregnant. Fortunately,
the home visitor program specializes in
helping both mothers of young children
As the pregnancy progressed, Chantel
helped Claudia navigate the necessary
appointments. Early on, tests revealed
the baby may be born with some medical
issues. Chantel helped the family prepare to deal with whatever these may be.
In late December, baby Angel was born
prematurely with a lesion on his skull
and indeterminate chromosome issues.
The doctor visits and hospital stays
increased as the family worked with
specialists and surgeons. Referred to
as a “failure to thrive” baby, Angel had
difficulty absorbing nutrients and kept
losing weight. The doctors recommended a feeding tube, but Claudia worked
hard to feed him. Spending sometimes
up to three hours per feeding, she managed to get him to eat and grow without
resorting to an invasive feeding tube.
Despite the busy schedule, Claudia
made sure they continued with lessons
for Dante and Caroline during Chantel’s
home visits.
I’m so thankful for
Chantel and the Home Visitor
Program, because I know I
have the emotional support
and resources needed to
succeed as a family.
As the doctor appointments progressed,
Chantel helped Claudia learn how to
become more confident when speaking
with the doctors. In the course of only a
few months, she went from being timid
about speaking up, to learning how ask
the right questions and how to be a
powerful advocate for her child’s health.
Tragically in April, at the age of four
months, little Angel passed away. Chantel remembers the phone call clearly.
“When it happened, I just had to go out
there. Not to help her…but just to see
how I could support her.” Chantel’s role
shifted a bit during this challenging time.
“Yes, my focus is on the children and
ensuring their parents’ understanding of
child development, but I can’t do my job
if mom is not able to address her needs.
We had to help her cope and get all the
support and services she needed, including grief support. We need her to be in a
good mental and physical state so she is
able to provide for her children.”
As Claudia talks about the Early Head
Start program, it’s evident that she
greatly appreciated the support. “I never
expected that they’d be the ones who
helped me most during my time of
great need and that Westside Children’s
Center would be such support during
the loss of my baby. I’m so thankful for
Chantel and the Home Visitor Program,
because I know I have the emotional
support and resources needed to succeed as a family. It was way more than I
anticipated.”
As Henry, Dante and Caroline continue
to play, Claudia muses on what she’s
learned from the Home Visitor Program.
“When they want to paint and draw, I
don’t just hand them paper. I’ve learned
to actually sit with them and spend time
doing the activity with them. I’ve learned
how to talk with them so they don’t fight
as much…and I’ve learned how to sing!”
5
2012 Newsletter
As Claudia proudly introduces her three
youngest – Henry (4), Dante (3) and her
princess, Caroline (2), Chantel pulls
coloring paper from her bag. Subtly, the
day’s lessons have begun. Claudia’s
older two sons, Oscar and Kevin, whom
she affectionately refers to as the men
of the household, are in school and the
focus is 100% on the little ones. When
asked about the program, their mother
explains, “It’s very good. They learn a
lot. They’ve learned how to share, how
to recognize objects and pronounce
them correctly. I like that they’ve learned
picture recognition and new words. And
I love the fact that even the smallest
things will eventually help them when
they transition into school.”
and mothers-to-be with parenting skills,
and access to prenatal care.
read t o m e
The act of grabbing a favorite book and sitting down to
read with a small child is almost timeless.
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Why Book in a Bag?
Daris and Jamie Hobson
To learn, read. To know, write.
To master, teach. – Hindu proverb
hen Windward School students
Jamie Hobson and Eloise Lynton
first began volunteering as Classroom
Helpers at the Westside Children’s
Center, they wanted to help teach
children. It started by simply opening
a book and reading. However, the
experience encouraged them to find
ways to give back even more. Fueled by
their interactions with these three-tofive-year olds, Jamie and Eloise worked
over the summer to create their unique
Book in a Bag program.
What is Book in a Bag?
Jamie and Eloise’s idea behind Book
in a Bag was to build a mentoring
program that enables volunteers to
productively enjoy quality, one-onone reading time with preschoolers
at the WCC and beyond. To create
the program, they spent numerous
The act of grabbing a favorite book and
sitting down to read with a small child
is almost timeless. However, in today’s
fast-paced society, the reality is many
children are deprived of this critical
rite of passage, especially among
low-income families with parents often
working multiple jobs. Chaotic family
environments, the time constraints
of single-family homes and language
barriers work together to create a
literacy gap in low-income children that
becomes glaringly apparent when they
enter kindergarten. Research shows
that low literacy is a factor in later
school troubles, teenage pregnancy,
juvenile delinquency and poverty.
Book in a Bag combats this by pairing
volunteers, who act as teachers, with
their enthusiastic “buddies” from the
WCC. The goal is to inspire a love of
learning that will last these children well
beyond their first few years of school.
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The immediate benefits of this one-onone reading program, which combines
customized prompt questions, games
and activities, are invaluable. Reading
aloud through programs like Book in a
Bag helps pre-literate children master
language development. It’s about
increasing attention spans, building
listening skills and fostering natural
curiosity. And maybe most importantly,
Book in a Bag is about building bonds
that show children how important they
are to others.
2012 Newsletter
Westside Children’s Center
hours studying child development
and working with long-time WCC
volunteer Barbara St. Thomas and
teachers at the WCC. The result was
an easy-to-implement program that
combined books with developmentally
appropriate questions and activities
to create fully interactive learning
experiences.
Now in its third season, Book in a Bag
is about to become a replicable idea
with the launch of Eloise and Jamie’s
website. The girls are developing
packets for children in WCC’s toddler
classrooms and hope to develop a
curriculum that allows the program
to branch out to other early education
centers. What started simply as turning
the pages of a book has grown into a
lesson in following through on dreams
and the impact those dreams can have
on others.
Top: Quinn and Eloise Lynton
Bottom: Luís and Howard Hobson
a father’s
jo u r n e y
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It wasn’t easy. At 52-years old, Beauford
was working a minimum-wage job that
had sporadic hours, sharing a onebedroom apartment with an adult niece
and dealing with some addiction issues.
Brianna’s social worker checked out the
living situation and told the family there
were steps that needed to be taken to
make it a better environment for both
father and daughter. She then referred
them to the Westside Children’s Center
for assistance and support.
• What were some of your challenges
that you had to overcome in your
background?
Every day is a challenge for me. I have
an on-call job so I don’t know if I’m
working the next day. I work with motion
pictures in security. It’s a minimum
wage job and it’s been a real struggle.
Now I feel a little weight off my
shoulders through Westside Children’s
services. You guys are fantastic with
your support system and consistency
that you do every week. As far as my
daughter going to school and helping
us with her tutors, that’s support right
there – and her grades got better. Her
last report card, her grades were up.
• Westside Children’s Center
connected you with the Ness Center.
At the Ness Center, I met with people
who were in the same situation as I
was in. They had drug counseling,
where everybody gets to speak and give
their opinions. The Ness Center was a
special place because you learn about
addictions. And like they said, it doesn’t
have to be addictions to drugs. It could
be an addiction to spending and buying
– an addiction is an addiction.
• We also connected you with
Southern California Counseling
Center for your daughter. What
program did you do there?
I did Project Fatherhood and parenting
classes. I learned to be open-minded
and to trust my daughter. They helped
me both with my work and it helped me
with raising my daughter. You know,
I work a lot of hours and my time is
short. My temper’s short. Money’s
short. So, when I went to that parenting
class, listening helped. Reading the
information they gave us about what we
needed to do as far as trusting our kids.
Being patient, putting ourselves in our
kid’s place. Things like peer pressure
and bullying is rough on children, just
as rough as it is on adults.
Your support was very helpful to me.
Without you guys, I couldn’t have made it. I
couldn’t have afforded it. But that’s not the
most important thing – it was the support
you all gave me. I see you guys every week,
and every week it lifts me up and gave me
something to work on. As far as Rachel
(WCC IHOC) giving me slips to have
Brianna’s homework assignments, which
helped me. Rachel gave me a sheet so I
could check Brianna’s homework and have
the teacher sign. It was helping her get
her job done. All of that helped because it
helped her bring her grades up.
Your support
was very helpful
to me. Without
you guys, I couldn’t
have made it.
• So would you say you’ve had success
over the last year?
Yes.
• What’s been your favorite part of your
success?
Just the opportunities and seeing different
things open up. To help me
know that I’m going in the right direction.
So much started happening, so many
things started opening up for me and it’s
just been awesome. Like right now, I could
say, I’m doing things for my daughter and
you guys helped me send her to camp,
which I didn’t know anything about it. So
right there’s another door that opened up.
• How was it working with a WCC
in-home outreach counselor (IHOC)
every week?
That was awesome. It was what really
motivated me and lifted me up and kept
me focused on what I had to do. Just
seeing the counselors come out and
support us every week. It helped us.
• So what plans do you have for you and
your daughter in the future now, going
forward from working with WCC?
• What has Brianna been up to
recently and what will she be doing
in the upcoming months?
Really to be a family. To be happy. Me and
my daughter to be as one family, for me
to keep my ears and eyes open to make
sure she’s doing her part as far as her job
– to stay in school and bring home good
grades. That’s what I’m looking forward to.
She just came back from her family
reunion in Mississippi. She had such
a good time. Brianna is also, through
WCC, going to camp in Big Bear.
• Thank you, Mr. Gilmore and Brianna
From the left: Project Coordinator - Allen Lipscomb / Brianna Gilmore /
ICOH - Rachel Gates / Beauford Gilmore
9
2012 Newsletter
Westside Children’s Center
Background:
The Gilmore family, comprised of
Mr. Beauford Gilmore and his elevenyear-old daughter, Brianna, have been
participating in the Westside Children’s
Center Family Preservation program for
almost two years. Although Beauford
has always been a part of his daughter’s
life, up until two years ago, Brianna had
been living full-time with her mother,
from whom he was separated. When
her mother began having problems and
dealing with some personal issues, the
Department of Family and Children
Services threatened to put Brianna
into foster care. Beauford stepped up
to prevent that by becoming Brianna’s
primary caregiver.
• Have you learned anything that
surprised you in your journey over the
past year?
1 8 th annual
a r t s f e s t iva l
Wine, Women & Shoes:
/ An Evening of Fashion and Compassion /
H o s t C ommi t t e e
Co-Chairs
• Carla Du Manoir
• Patty Penske
• Stacey Lynn Kohl
Committee Members
• Pam Baron
• Christine Chiu
• Michele Dominick
• Bettina Duval
• Jennifer Eidinger
• Teresa Fourticq
• Layna Friedman
• Elisabeth Giovine
• Adrienne Grant
• Risa Green
• Laura Hein
• Sally Horchow
2011 Children’s Arts Festival Auxiliary / Jennifer Eidinger, Event Chair / Angie Adinamis / Laura Aka
Lorena Barrientos / Emily Doyle / Kim Eisman / Christine Goldman / Cynthia Greenwald / Lisa Klingenberg / Lindsay Knaub
Ann Kronen / Amanda Mintz / Kathleen Paul / Anne Rakunas / Julie Roback / Annie Rosenberger / Kaci Silverman
Tracey Stevens, Esq. / Linda Thieben / Eden Umansky
• Kathy Kendrick
• Alexandra Kimball
• Lisa Klingenberg
• Christine Lahti
• Shelley Litvack
• Leslie Mayer
• Lisa Pongracic
• Shelley Reid
• Beth Roberts
• Shiva Rose
• René Russo
• Susie Sheinberg
• Tobey Cotsen Victor
• Dana Walden
• Sheila Walker
• Leslie Weisberg Hyman
• Christina Zilber
s po n s o r s
Platinum Stilettos
• Anonymous
Westside Children’s Center
From the left: Layna Friedman / Stacey Lynn Kohl / Teresa Fourticq / Carla Du Manoir
Patty Penske / Sheila Walker / Jennifer Eidinger / Tobey Cotsen Victor
he 18th Annual WCC Children’s
Arts Festival was held on October
2, 2011 at Sony Studios. Adults and
children of all ages had fun roaming
freely on Sony’s Main Street, where the
Sports Extravaganza theme lent itself
to lots of fun activities, including a
batting cage, golf simulator and bungee
jumping. Over 300 guests attended,
including nearly 100 WCC families.
S ave
e Date!
Th
F estival is
s
t
r
A
’s
r
This yea
2012
October
7,
They enjoyed the games and festive
atmosphere, which was completed by
delicious food provided by onsite food
trucks. Thank you to our event Chair,
Jenny Eidinger for her enthusiasm and
strong leadership and to members of
the Auxiliary and over 100 volunteers
whose hard work helped to bring the
event to life.
n March 12th, Westside Children’s
Center partnered with the Children’s
Action Network and launched the first
annual Wine, Women & Shoes event.
Surpassing our fundraising goals and
selling out to a crowd of 300 guests, the
event was a success on all fronts. The
beautiful home of Heather Thomas and
Skip Brittenham provided the setting
for an evening of shopping, wine tasting
and delicious bites from some of LA’s
top restaurants. Thank you to members
of the Host Committee, whose efforts
added to the success of the event and to
Co-Chairs, Carla Du Manoir, Stacey Lynn
Kohl and Patty Penske, for their hard
work and dedication.
From left to right:
Shoe-designer Dana Davis and
Actress Lea Thompsen
Gold Heels
• The Annenberg Foundation
• David and Marianna Fisher
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Silver Slippers
• Bell Family Foundation
• Carla and Gerald Du Manoir
• The David Geffen Foundation
• Adrienne Grant and Paul Jennings
• Jena and Michael King
• Longo Toyota-Scion-Lexus
• Susan and Eric Smidt
• Tobey and Jonathan Victor
2012 Newsletter
10
Bronze Pumps
• Anonymous
• Carol and Frank Biondi
• Bettina and Glen Duval
• Stacey and Larry Kohl
• Shelley Litvack
• Eileen and Erik Ludwick
• The McGrath Abrams Family Foundation
• Wendy and Barry Meyer
• Christina N. Zilber
Copper Flats
• Karen Bell and Robert Cox
• Christina and Dr. Gabriel Chiu
• Michele and Frank Dominick
• Richard and Jennifer Eidinger
• Quinn and Bryan Ezralow
• Janet and Mike Fourticq
• Teresa and Mike Fourticq
• Malinda and David Krantz
• Susan and Charles Newirth
• Cheryl and Haim Saban
• Susie and Jon Sheinberg
• Diane Meyer Simon
• Dana and Matthew Walden
• Sheila and Clint Walker
Special Thanks:
• Heather Thomas and Skip Brittenham
big hearts
w e e k of t h e
youn g
child
12th Annual Big Hearts Event
B ig H e a r t s s po n s o r s
Platinum Heart Sponsors
• Anonymous
• David and Marianna Fisher
• Darcie Denkert Notkin and Shelby Notkin
Gold Heart Sponsors
• Carla and Gerald Du Manoir
Silver Hearts Sponsors
• Lorena Barrientos and Mark Merritt
• Maruja and Murray Lugash
• Ariane and Lionel Sauvage
April 21, 2012
Bronze Hearts Sponsors
• Ambassador Frank and Kathy Baxter
• Dana and Richard Dickson
• Fred Segal Santa Monica
• Abner and Roz Goldstine
• Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks
• Adrienne Grant and Paul Jennings
• Arnetta Vannuki Notkin
12
From the left: Karrie Barnett / Shelley Litvack / Carla du Manoir / Arianna du Manoir /
Claire Nordstrom / Jennifer Nordstrom / Sandra Devereaux / Ludmilla Chudoba
he 12th Annual Big Hearts event
was held on May 31st, with an
online tribute book launching on the
same day. Sponsors were treated to
an evening hosted by Fred Segal in
Santa Monica, where they previewed
summer fashions, shopped, and got
manicures and make up consultations.
To complete the night, guests enjoyed
cocktails and munched on gourmet
burgers, fries and salads from Umami
Burger. Special thanks to members of
the Host Committee for their support
and dedication and to Fred Segal for
generously underwriting the event.
Special Thanks
• Sharon Segal
• Kirsten Segal
• Fred Segal Santa Monica
2012 Newsletter
Westside Children’s Center
his annual community event
was held at our Early Education
Center on Saturday, April 21st.
Each year, it’s a great opportunity
to invite WCC families and the local
community to visit the Center for
a fun-filled day of child-friendly
activities, including arts and crafts,
facing painting, a DJ, an inflatable
bouncer and dancing. It also
serves as an opportunity to inform
the community about our array of
services, as well as those of our
partner agencies. This year partners
included: Create Now, Free Arts for
Abused Children, UCLA Community
Health and Advocacy Training
Program for pediatric residents and
Open Paths Counseling Center.
Families enjoyed a performance by
Taiko drummers, salsa lessons and
contests, including a hula hoop and
jump rope competition.
Big Hearts Sponsors
• Teal and Bobby Ahn
• Karen Bell and Robert Cox
• Janet Caroline Brown
• Mila Chudoba
• Richard and Jennifer Eidinger
• Hauptman Family Foundation
• The Jones Group
• Lezlie and Mark Johnson
• Currie Keller and Leslie Robinson
• Cynthia and Steven Levine
• Diane and Barry Levinson
• Shelley and Frank Litvack
• Henna Lugash
• Diana Maiman
• Brandi Miller
• Susan and Charles Newirth
• Sharon Segal Prudholme
• Joanne and Lars Reierson
• Irene Ribner
• Eric and Rachel Stern
• Maxine and Brent Stratton
• Linda Thieben and Norman Alden
• Christina Zilber
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vo l u n t e e r s 2 0 1 1 / 2 0 1 2
vo l u n t e e r s 2 0 1 1 / 2 0 1 2
Your dedication to WCC makes a difference. Thank you for everything you do!
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• Tony Chretin
• Barbara Chung
• Annie Cipolla
• Laurence Cohen
• Katie Coleman
• Courtney Collishaw
• Kim Comeaux
• Sarah Coolidge
• Silvia Cooper
• Tamara Cope
• Mercedes Cruz
• Karen Cryan
• Nat Damon
• Diana de Cardenas
• Terry Delvoye
• Emily Deu
• Kaitlyn Doelman
• Brad Donenfeld
• Lauren Ehrenfeld
• Dave Eldridge
• Luke Eriksen
• Chelsea Evans
• Helen Fassbind
• Wendy Felson
• Clora Ferguson
• Carol Franklin
• Aaron French
• Nancy French
• Heather Frenner
• Liana Frias
• Johanna Fuentes
• Kristin Fukushima
• Miguel Gallardo
• Linda Glaser
• Audrey Goldenberg
• Michael Goode
• Waldo Gordian
• Jessica Gray
• Tim Greene
• Rachel Griffin
• Suzi Guerin
• Ethel Gulette
• Stephanie Haber
• Gabriella Haen
• Dave Haen
• Bobby Hamm
• Laura Hanson
• Bret Harvey
• Ivan Hernandez
• Jenny Hicks
• Alison Ho
• Cindy Ho
• Jamie Hobson
• Andi Holtzman
• Megan Hook
• Kamala Horwitz
• James Hughes
• Sarah Iraheta- Brown
• Craig Ishii
• Deva Jackson
• Robin Jameson
• Samantha Jenkins
• Lisa Johnson
• Jena Jones
• Marion Joy
• Jerilynn Kacena
• Kathy Keedy
• Jessie Kikuchi
• Victoria King
• Doug Klier
• Brian Klingenberg
• Stephanie Klotz
• Shannon Knupp
• Paul Krogstad
• Andrea Kruger
• Alyssa Lapp
• Lindsey LeDuff
• Richard Leib
• Ivy Lewis Carey
• Marsha Lieb
• Lia Longin
• Maria Lopez Hakobo
• Eloise Lynton
• Kelly Madera
• Randy Maekawa
• Elicia Magana
• Anne Mallonee
• Charley Martin
• Jacqueline Martinez
• Eileen Mathews
• Margaret Mary Mayer
• Haley McCombs
• Phil McFarland
• Chelsea McNally
• Alana Mello
• Marc Mercury
• Ray Michaud
• Daniel Miles
• Iris Mink
• Rachel Mooney
• Angela Moran
• Claire M Morris
• Christin Moses
• Eric Murata
• Maha Nejad
• Isabella Neuberg
• Fabiola Nolazco
• Virginia Nolde
• Sue O’Brien
• Erin O’Keefe
• Shana Orth
• Julie Oskins
• Claire Osowsky
• Gaida Paulovska
• Christine Pease
• Jacqueline Perry
• Judey Petix
• Marcela Pizarro
• Mary Plumb
• Steve Pollman
• Milo Popp
• Katherine Porter
• Teresa Poy
• Suchi Ramesh
• Mayleen Ramey
• Marisa Reisel
• Sandy Riek Manuel
• Anne Rimer
• Eric Rodgers
• Kenja Rojas
• Cat Rotunno
• Clotilde Rousseau
• Erica Russell
• Steven Schechter
• Julie Schiering
• Rina Schloss
• Ruth Schnapka
• Marc Schuhl
• Miguel Serrichio
• Natalie Shammas
• Megan Sherer
• Karen Shew
• Bev Shpall
• Bob Shpall
• Vicki Silverman
• Ken Silverman
• David Silverstein
• Elsie Sims
• Elliott Sina
• Diane Sisko
• Marty Sisko
• Barbara St. Thomas
• Linda Stamer
• Mady Steinberg
• Ryan Matthew Stewart
• Ellen Sugerman
• Cyndi Tando
• Tessa Tinglof
• Megumi Tomatsu
• Stacy Toyota
• Geoff Tsudama
• Delisa Turner
• Mary Uchiyama
• Maricela Valdez
• Simon Valente
• Nancy Wang
• Beth Ward
• Karen Watson
• Alison Watts
• Stephanie Wawage
• Harold Wissell
• Tatiana Yanuaria
• Kristi Yeung
• Ramona Young
• Carolyne Yu
• Mattew Zaal
• Maya Zellman
• Lance Ziebell
Special thanks to the
students, faculty and parents
from the following schools
who volunteered at WCC
throughout the year:
• The Archer School for Girls
• Brentwood School
• The Buckley School
• Calvary Christian School
• Campbell Hall
• Carlthorp School
• Crossroads School
• Culver City High School
• Curtis School
• Harvard-Westlake School
• John Adams Middle School
• The John Thomas Dye School
• Loyola High School
• Loyola Marymount University
• Marlborough School
• Marymount High School
• Milken Community High School
• New Community Jewish
High School
• New Roads School
• Palisades Charter High School
• Palms Middle School
• Pepperdine University
• Sinai-Akiba Academy
• St. Matthew’s Parish School
• UCLA
• University High School
• Venice High School
• Westchester Lutheran School
• Westside Neighborhood
School
• Wildwood School
• The Willows Community
School
• Windward School
Thank you to the following
groups who participated in
our 2011 holiday toy drive:
• Aerie Eagles
• Bag Lady Promotions
• Cabo Cantina-Brentwood
• Case Stack
• Cassidy School
• John Adams Middle School
• LA Compassionate Heart
• Sangha
• Mar Vista Elementary School
• Wildwood School
• Penmar Women’s Golf Club
• Spark of Love
• Cabo Cantina
• Vineyard Christian Fellowship
15
2012 Newsletter
Westside Children’s Center
• Danny Acosta
• Eric Agaki
• Brett Albert
• Ram Alkaly
• Betsy Alkaly
• Sheri Altieri
• Arsineh Ananian
• Jenna Apple
• Russell Awni
• Charlie Balot
• Sharon Balot
• Candace Beaver
• Arielle Beuzieron
• Deseree Bevans
• Kosha Bhatt
• Mathilde Bresson
• Ari Briskman
• Harold Brown
• Camille Brown
• Kathy Bryan
• Jodi Bryson
• Venetta Campbell
• Rosealinda Carillo
• K. Ceakou
• Reema Chand
• Jill Chapin
• Terry Chapin
• Michael Chavez
• Lorena Chavez
• Karen Chen
• Cynthia Cheng
• Nancy Chiamulon
• Adrianne Chivers
• Linda Chretin
a n n u a l r e po r t
R evenue
july 1 , 2 0 0 1 0 - june 3 0 2 0 1 1
At the Westside Children’s Center, we believe every child deserves a bright future. When hardship or family crisis poses
a threat, we provide a wide range of services as a foundation for both short-term and lifelong success for all children in
southwest Los Angeles. Our child-focused, family-centered approach embraces those at risk with a fully-integrated support
system involving early education, family development, and foster and adoption services.
Since 1987, we’ve been nurturing and strengthening families by putting the needs of the child’s overall development first. By
investing early in at-risk children living in our own backyard, we are creating a more vibrant community, one child at a time.
Ea r ly Ed u cat io n
16
• Prepares children for success in school and in life by
promoting their physical, intellectual and emotional
development
• Provides referrals to free and low-cost health services
• Provides low-income, working parents with a safe,
nurturing environment for their children so they can
continue to work
• Strengthens at-risk families by providing resources,
support and counseling to address issues of violence,
anger, stress, substance abuse and depression
• Provides early literacy, nutrition and parent support
services necessary to help children succeed
• Improves the ability of parents to care for their children
• Provides individualized services to each family in
order to prevent out-of-home placement and reunify
children with their families
foster care and adoption
• Provides opportunities for parents with young children
to build the supportive relationship networks that help
children and parents achieve their goals
• Finds and supports permanent adoptive homes when
reunification with a child’s biological parents is not
possible
• Provides comprehensive developmental screenings,
individualized case management, referrals and
advocacy for families with children with special needs
P ER C ENT
Government
Parent Fees
Special Events
conributions
Miscellaneous
Int Income
LOSS FROM EXPIRED CONTRACTS
$ 5,576,778.00
$ 191,568.00
$ 284,137.00
$ 707,371.00
$ 317,020.00
$ 9,771.00
--
78.7%
2.7%
4.0%
10%
4.5%
0.1%
0%
$ 6,664,465.00
$ 84,006.00
$ 264,586.00
$ 1,418,806.00
$ 195,689.00
$ 8,454.00
$ (342,000.00)
80.4%
1.0%
3.2%
17.1%
2.4%
0.1%
-4.1%
Total Revenue
$ 7,086,645.00
100.0%
$ 8,294,006.00
100.0%
2.4%
4.5%
10%
17.1%
4%
3.2%
2.7%
1%
78.7%
80.4%
17
family support programs
• Recruits, trains, certifies and supports foster parents
who provide nurturing homes to children who are
victims of abuse or neglect
• Prepares preschool children with the social and
emotional skills they will need to be successful in
kindergarten and for lifelong success
TOTAL
• Provides regular dental, hearing and vision screenings
• Provides services to families at home or at our
Early Education Center, depending on the needs
of the parents
school readiness and special needs
P ER C ENT
• Supports adoptive parents with post-adoption support
groups, home visiting programs, case management,
parenting education, legal expertise and other
services that help adoptive families succeed and thrive
expenses
6/30/2011
6/30/2010
TOTAL
P ER C ENT
TOTAL
P ER C ENT
early education
Family support
prevention/early intervention
win*
total program expenses
administrative support
development support
$ 3,397,766.00
$ 1,643,459.00
$ 369,002.00 $
787,288.00
$ 6,197,515.00
$ 841,177.00
$ 308,518.00
46.2%
22.4%
5.0%
10.7%
84.4%
11.4%
4.2%
$ 4,494,113.00
$ 1,737,440.00
$ 268,101.00
$ 690,693.00
$ 7,190,347.00
$ 569,772.00
$ 308,472.00
55.7%
21.5%
3.3%
8.6%
89.1%
7.1%
3.8%
total operating expenses
$ 7,347,210.00
100.0%
$ 8,068,591.00
100.0%
net surplus / (loss)
net surplus / (loss) excluding win
$ (260,565.00)
$ 240,363.00
$ 225,415.00
$ 325,937.00
** WCC was the fiscal agent for Westside Infant Network (WIN) up to June 30, 2011.
11.2%
10.7%
4.2%
7.11%
8.6%
46.2%
3.3%
55.7%
5%
21.5%
22.4%
3.8%
2012 Newsletter
Westside Children’s Center
• Empowers families to support their child’s healthy
development through health and safety workshops and
consultations with our full-time public health nurse
• Offers individualized services to low-income families
with children ages 0-3, including pregnant women
TOTAL
health services
• Provides early education and child development
services to children (ages 18 months to 5 years) in a
state-of-the-art Early Education Center, as well as in
a network of family childcare homes
Ea r ly H e ad S ta r t
6/30/2011
6/30/2010
W C C S u ppo r t e r s
W C C S u ppo r t e r s
Fiscal year 2010/2011 [ July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011]
18
$25,000 and above
• Janet Caroline Brown
• Anonymous
• California Healthcare Foundation
• The Capital Group Companies
• Comerica Bank
• Carla and Gerald Du Manoir
• Gary Broad Foundation
• Marianna and David Fisher
• Gordon Snider Trust
Fiscal year 2010/2011 [ July 1, 20010 through June 30, 2011]
Free Methodist Church
• Lisa and Victor Kohn
Bradley Broffman
• Christy Glass and Mike Lowe
• Bruce Ford Brown Charitable Trust
• Henna Lugash
• Cynthia and Steven Levine
• Teresa Burton
• Ty Min
$1,000 - $2,499
• Andew Lipsitz
• Heather Carrigan
• Leanne Moore
• Lezlie and Mark Johnson
• Avery and Andrew Barth
• Shelley and Frank Litvack
• Marianne and Frank Diassi
• O’Connell Family Foundation
• Kappa Delta Alpha Iota Chapter,
• Nancy Bertrander
• Vicki and Larry London
• Lauren Shuler Donner and
• Anne and Adam Rakunas
• Ilana Brown
• Longo Toyota-Scion Lexus
• California Community Foundation -
• Marjan and Dominic Messinger
• Edison International
• Renewable Resources Group
• Iris Mink
• Jennifer and Richard Eidinger
• Ann and Robert Ronus
• Ludmila Chudoba
• Myra and Earl Pomerantz
• Quinn and Bryan Ezralow
• Cinda and Steve Schrader
• Karen R. Smith Elstad
• David Prall
• William Flumenbaum
• Mildred and Sherwood Schwartz
• Arnetta Vannuki Notkin
• Kimberly and John Emerson
• Joanne and Lars Reierson
• Nanette and Burton Forester
• Pam and Allen Schwartz
• Charlotte Hughes and Chris Combs
• Irene and Eytan Ribner
• Frederick R. Weisman
• Frankie and Barry Sholem
• Teresa and Mike Fourticq
• Regan Shipman
• Philip and Alyce De Toledo
• Ann and Robert E.G. Ronus
• Alicia Tranen
• Mossimo Giannulli
• Elsie Sims
• Patricia Artigas and
• Margo and Irwin Winkler
• Berta Aguilera and Frank Gehry
• Gloria and Arthur Waldinger
• Christine and Scott Goldman
• Michael Tuchin
• Honorable Zev Yaroslavsky
• Nancy and Jonathan Glaser
• Mark and Patti Walzman
• Susan Grode
• Kristin Paul, Jeffrey Worthe
• Roslyn and Abner Goldstine
• Wells Fargo Foundation
• Renee and Michael Hertzberg
• Wertheimer Foundation
• Mimi and Linn Hodge
• Darcie and Shelby Notkin
• Anonymous
UCLA
• Elizabeth Hirsch
Westside Children’s Center
• Maruja and Murray Lugash
$10,000 -$24,999
• Ambassador Frank and
Kathy Baxter
Lucas Etchegaray
• Lorena Barrientos and
Mark Merritt
• Adrienne Grant and Paul Jennings
Pass It Along Fund
Philanthropic Foundation
Richard Donner
• Ariane and Lional Sauvage
$2,500 - $4,999
• Risa and Michael Green
• The John W. Carson Foundation
• Karen Bell and Robert Cox
• Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks
• Tatiana and Todd James
• Penny and Travis Hansen
$500 - $999
• Michelle Issa
$5,000 - $9,999
• Elizabeth and Robert Lowe
• Haskell Fund
• Brenda and Alan Abramson
• Beth and Kenneth Karmin
• Katie McGrath and J.J. Abrams
• Patricia Glaser and Sam Mudie
• Victoria Foyt and Henry Jaglom
• Angeles Investment Advisors
• Klee, Tuchin, Bogdanoff
• Linda Thieben and Norman Alden
• Genie Riordan Mule
• Catherine Lhamon and
• Antonieta and Javier Arango
• Bank of American Wealth
• Susan and Charles Newirth
Management
Giev Kashkooli
• Nancy Stark and Stanley Iezman
& Stern LLP
• Donnalisa and William Barnum
• Ann E. Kronen
• Tracey Barker Stevens
• Antoinette Beuche Kemp
• Melinda and Dan Berman
• Laura and David Kronen
• Venice Santa Monica
• The Kleiner Cohen Foundation
• Penelope Podus and
• Stephanie and Bob Lakin
• Michele and Rob Reiner
and Family
• Robert Zarnegin
19
2012 Newsletter
• Jonathan Kuai
• Christina and Laurent Zilber
NON PROFIT ORG.
US Postage
PAID
Permit No. 870
There can be no keener revelation
of a society's soul than the way in
which it treats its children.
-Nelson Mandela
Westside Children’s Center is a member of the California Association of Nonprofits and Accredited by California Association of Nonprofits and Accredited by California
Alliance of Child and Family Services. State of California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division Numbers: Infant/Toddler 197417101,
Early Education 197408510 / State Adoption License No. 197804923 / State Foster Care No. 197804924