Padres Unidos Np   

In 1999, Padres Unidos began serving families in Orange County as “Healthy Tomorrows,” through the Orange County Social Services Agency. This partnership enabled us to develop a successful model of parent education and engagement, meeting the needs of the low-income community we serve. At the height of the recession, we saw our County funding disappear but remained committed to providing our programs to at-risk children and families. In 2011, we became an independent 501(c)3, continuing to partner with families, school, districts, other nonprofits, and Chapman University to implement a holistic approach to community development. Through our integrated continuum of early engagement, parenting classes, and volunteer/community worker training, we help families go from beneficiaries to empowered workers and volunteers serving their neighborhood. Our model increases school readiness and decreases likelihood of child abuse/neglect, gang involvement, welfare needs, and cyclical poverty; it also creates a multi-generation culture of volunteering and community engagement and improves relationships among community members, the school system, the child welfare system, and other stakeholders. Padres Unidos is not just about helping a single student or even a single family, but engaging the entire community in building better neighborhoods and better futures.