Sacred Groves: Regenerative Community Pathways

Support for foster and systems-impacted youth

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Community Pathways has been well underway in the last half-decade, and its concept existed before it had a name. In this, we are tasked with engaging community around the model, allowing for deeper integration of systems that already exist. As suggested by the Prevention and Early Intervention Committee, Community Pathways must be a systemic example of reducing barriers for community-based participation in providing resources, braiding funding streams, and building stronger cross-departmental relationships. With this, it is necessary that front-facing messaging about Community Pathways 2.0 makes such efforts clear, as to not alienate our resilient and rightfully vigilant audience of youth-driven community-based networks. Historically, there has been a lack of lived expertise in the planning of local governance systems. LA County has sought to address this by inviting us to coach and consult the departments that are looking for a shift: we are encouraging the expansion of this practice.

Ultimately, our work is for child, family, and community wellbeing, shifting the landscape from systems harm to community support. We are building community social wealth and capacity building, seeking to join forces with Families Stronger Together LA, in addition to completing the deliverables for the community pathways engagement plan. We are also bridging social enterprises with potential partnership from Country as they shift toward community-based initiatives aligned with preventing risk for child welfare services and impactment by juvenile courts. Our goal is to prevent unnecessary separations of children from their families and other risks due to systemic inequity. We are inviting parents who have already been prevented from entering these systems to create the future of Community Pathways.

By 2050, we believe families will no longer be at risk for separation for their circumstances: their citizenship status, their SES, etc. Families will be more knowledgeable and equipped in their own communities, of each other, of the lands; through this feeling of belongingness and protection, the status quo to call CPS will no longer be a reality. Indigenous peoples will recall the time when County repaid their harms, and continue to practice stewardship in protecting greenways where they were once paved over. Young leaders invited by LA County to shift systems will look back a time where they were part of a great social shift toward community care. Healthy households and abundant community organizations and initiatives will be the backbone of how communities prevent harms. When community violence or instability occurs, organizations maintaining our cultural practices will be the first people we call during emerging crisis.