DCFS Given Four Awards for Innovative Programs

 

		County of Los Angeles DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES   425 Shatto Place, Los Angeles, California  90020 (213) 351-5602
Board of Supervisors GLORIA MOLINA First District MARK RIDLEY-THOMAS Second District ZEV YAROSLAVSKY Third District DON KNABE Fourth District MICHAEL D. ANTONOVICH Fifth District   PATRICIA S. PLOEHN, LCSW Director

 

 

     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

     November 24, 2010

 

 

Contact:  Neil Zanville

                 DCFS Office of Public Affairs

                 (213) 351-5886

 

 

 

DCFS Awarded Four 2010 NACO Achievement Awards for Innovative County Programs

 

(LOS ANGELES, November 24) - The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is the recipient of four 2010 National Association of Counties (NACO) Achievement Awards. The awards recognize innovative programs that exemplify the County's mission to "enrich lives through effective and caring service." On Tuesday, November 23^rd, Supervisor Gloria Molina and Chief Executive Officer William T Fujioka presented the NACO Achievement Awards to DCFS Director Patricia S. Ploehn at a special Board ceremony.

 

DCFS was honored for the following innovative programs:

 

• Tamar Village is a partnership between Shields for Families, a family-centered treatment community agency, DCFS, Sheriff's Department, Public Defender's Office, and Alcohol and Drug Program Administration; the Corporation for Supportive Housing and California State University, Dominguez Hills, which provides comprehensive substance abuse treatment services with priority status for women who are involved with child welfare and are re-entering the community from the criminal justice system.

 

• The Prevention Initiative Demonstration Project was launched on February 26, 2008 as a $5 million, one-year child abuse and neglect prevention project led by DCFS in partnership with 12 community-based organizations selected as leads or co-leads of local networks that were serving each of the County's eight regional Service Planning Areas with a total of 89 agencies taking part in the networks.

 

• Both the South County and Torrance regional offices of DCFS created unique partnerships with the community and opened the County's first Family Visitation Centers in October 2008 to provide a neutral and homelike space for children and parents to interact. 

 

·         In the spring of 2008, Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina spearheaded and funded a pilot project to improve educational outcomes for foster and probation youth in collaboration with the DCFS, the Pomona Unified School District, the Montebello Unified School District, the County's Chief Executive Office, Casey Family Programs, and the Los Angeles County Education Coordinating Council.

 

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