Polly’s story is one of the most difficult to tell because it is so awful. Polly came to the Center when she was just 16 years old. Even at that tender age, Polly had already been subjected to years of unspeakable abuses. Yet, Polly is a wonderful example of how the people at the Glendale Family Development Center love, nurture and break the cycle of abuse in our families. Click here to read Polly’s story.
thousands helped since 1970
Glendale Family Development Center is a community-based non-profit organization committed to help families break the cycles of illiteracy, abuse and poverty. Our holistic family approach is unique in that we address every family member and deal with the root cause of these cycles within each family unit. Since 1970, we have provided thousands of families with social services, such as counseling, parenting classes, education and advocacy, but our greatest service is our accredited yet low-cost child care, preschool and after school programs.
childcare and the poverty cycle
Our childcare programs meet a profound need for families at or living below the poverty line. The cost of professional childcare is often more than some families earn. This is why it becomes logical to many parents to quit their jobs and live by whatever means available to them, thus teaching the poverty cycle to another generation of Americans.
The family budget receiving a GFDC childcare scholarship has a gross income that is livable – even after paying the cost of childcare. Once parents know that their children are safe and happy, they can concentrate on improving their lives instead of just surviving them. We work with our families to find the root cause(s) of why they fall into crisis. Sometimes we discover the need for education, life skills, counseling or advocacy in an issue that has overwhelmed them.
the future
The Center’s future is one of hope and service to the community. We look forward to expanding our services to meet the growing needs in our community.
Services in development:
- Immigration advice/advocacy
- English-as-a-Second Language classes
- Job skill training in the following areas:
- Aptitude Screening services
- Technology
If you have expertise or know of available community resources in these areas, please contact us. We’d love your help!
