Equipping Youth for Success Through Whole Family Support

Social support networks

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

HOLA recognizes the deeply rooted systemic inequities that challenge the pathways to educational success for youth in Los Angeles. In the communities where HOLA operates, levels of educational attainment, access to human services such as healthcare and housing, creative education in public schools, and income levels are among the lowest in the County. Longstanding systems of economic inequality have also resulted in communities where children are more likely to experience Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which contribute to immediate and long-term mental, physical, and emotional health consequences. While an education-forward organization, HOLA understands that wellness is a matter of equity; deficiencies in basic needs, mental health issues, and challenges within the classroom all contribute to educational inequity. Thus, educational success cannot be achieved without an intersectional approach to wellness that centers not only whole-child well-being, but whole-family well-being.

Our Family Services Department (FSD) is a familial support network that addresses such complex issues from many angles to create long-term, solutions, which includes seeing our students graduate from college and attain careers in their desired fields so that they can structurally affect the economic fabric of their community. Parental and social support networks have been proven to positively impact youth from marginalized communities’ sense of resilience, helping them overcome adversity and improving their academic performance in both K-12 and postsecondary. HOLA’s FSD is a multi-pronged approach to holistic service provision that leverages our network of relationships and diverse community partnerships to disburse a wide range of resources to our students, their families, and our community at large. The FSD will provide hundreds of families with case management, counseling led by our on-staff LCSW and team of MSW interns, direct aid (grocery gift cards, essential items, rental assistance, etc), and parent workshops that provide support in areas like tax preparation and legal aid as well as opportunities for community-building. For challenges outside of our immediate scope, HOLA connects families to a robust roster of partner organizations. This delivery model leverages our staff connections to eliminate the fear and uncertainty our families may experience when trying to navigate multiple agencies simultaneously, making deeply needed resources accessible and effective.

HOLA’s FSD was formalized in 2020 and over the last four years, HOLA has worked to establish a model that thoughtfully integrates wellness support into every aspect of our operations. Simultaneously, our organization has been building and nurturing partnerships in South Los Angeles and Watts to meaningfully expand our programmatic reach to more underserved communities throughout the County. In 2023, HOLA began piloting FSD outreach at our expansion sites and has a vision for the coming year to broaden its level of service provision throughout South LA.
HOLA’s approach to intersectional support dismantles the myriad barriers between low-income students and high-quality resources, giving them the space to prioritize their well-being and, in turn, their education. Postsecondary attainment has been shown to correlate not just to increased wages, but to overall health and even life expectancy, demonstrating the urgent need to bring this quality programming to every community in LA.

HOLA’s responsive pedagogy is informed through quantitative data that varies by program, qualitative organizational and program-specific surveys, community listening sessions, and a newly formed FSD Parent Council. HOLA’s FSD also regularly tracks its counseling and case management output, outreach efforts, and event attendance. In 2023, HOLA refocused its organizational survey efforts to speak to the goals HOLA considers most critical to our success (helping young people become a) resilient and b) empowered for self-determination) and capture targeted qualitative feedback from youth and parents in all departments, including FSD. Thus, measurable outcomes HOLA’s FSD anticipates in 2024-2025 include:
Provide ongoing case management support to 300 families 85% of students/parents surveyed will agree that they have strong social support at HOLA 85% of parents surveyed will agree they have someone at HOLA that they can reach out to when they need help with their family or student