Children’s Institute Growth Supports Local Families

To date, growth has been organic, but it doesn’t always go in a specific direction, so it was important to figure out how to be more than just a service provider and create a meaningful impact in the lives of the kids and families that it serves. It responded to feedback from community members and staff who wanted more opportunities for engagement and more connection between the programs that it offers.

Martine Singer

(Christina Belle)

“We look at educational success and emotional well-being. We don’t want to just come in and leave,” said Martine Singer, chief executive of the Children’s Institute.

The Children’s Institute has grown steadily under Singer’s leadership over the past eight years. Revenue has grown from $66 million to $103 million. It has nearly 1,000 employees, who work throughout Los Angeles County across 36 locations, and works with about 30,000 children and family members per year.

The organization provides education, healthcare and mental health services. It’s an Early Head Start and Head Start provider to children under the age of five. The programs help kids get ready for transitional kindergarten and kindergarten. Head Start attendees are also connected to healthcare providers, fed nutritious meals and referred to counseling services as needed. Early childhood interactions help catch developmental disabilities at a young age, especially around the autism spectrum.

For older kids, it provides transition programs for those who transition out of the foster system. In some Los Angeles Unified School District schools, it works with schools to provide counseling services for teenagers.

And for adults, it has a program called “Project Fatherhood” that was started by Dr. Hershel Swinger to work with fathers to provide comprehensive parenting skills to those in caregiver roles using a support group model. Whereas other providers work within schools or homes, Singer said that their focus is on a holistic, multi-generational approach.

“You cannot help a child if you are not helping the parents at the same time,” she said.

The Children’s Institute operates offices in Echo Park, Watts and Long Beach. In Echo Park and Watts, the organization realized that it could provide a community benefit by partnering with others to utilize and share the space. Organizations can reserve space in the building for free, and small businesses can use it as well. For example, famed jazz pianist Billy Mitchell has reserved space to provide string lessons to local kids and can use it on a part-time basis rather than finding a separate dedicated space.

“Other people can come in, and it brings people in and enriches the life of the community. It’s not just about us,” said Singer.

The building in Watts has a greater purpose. The $20-million investment in the community helped stimulate growth in the area. There is a huge disparity in investments between areas such as Watts in South Los Angeles and areas in West Los Angeles. As a result of these disparities and other economic and health factors, the average lifespan of a child born in Watts can be 15 years less than a child born in Brentwood, despite the relatively short distance separating the areas.

In Los Angeles, Singer described that people can be very insulated within their neighborhoods and aren’t always aware of the needs of others and the support and resources that are available. The organization hosts an annual star-studded gala that helps spread awareness and raise funds for the organization. In turn, some celebrities have been able to directly interact with the children and provide mentorship.

At one recent gala, Jay Brown, the chief executive and co-founder of RocNation with Jay-Z, heard about the program and offered to have kids intern with the music management company. The company has offices in Los Angeles, New York and London and hosted the interns in the local office. It was an incredible experience to offer to the children.

Challenges Ahead

The past few years have been challenging because of the stresses of COVID-19. While the immediate impact of the disease is under control, many children in minority and low-income households lost caregivers, such as grandparents or other relatives. Many people didn’t have the luxury to quarantine and faced job losses.

Moving forward, there are issues related to undocumented people that are further stressing the support system. Although the Children’s Institute doesn’t track or check how many children it serves are undocumented, if any, Singer acknowledged that many households have relatives and friends who will be impacted by proposed changes to immigration policy, such as mass deportations. Statistically, the U.S. Office of Homeland Security Statistics estimates that 11 million unauthorized immigrants are living in the country, of which 42% live in California and Texas.

Many staff members who provide services also expect to be affected. The organization’s staff reflects the communities that they serve and consists of 70% Latinos. The vast majority are women.

“Children are picking up on fear and anxiety in their household. It’s already begun to impact our communities,” Singer said.

-David Nusbaum

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