YWCA is on a mission and YWCA Greater Los Angeles is making it our own!
To empower women and eliminate racism, we must meet our community members where they are most vulnerable and provide the compassion and services that place them on a path to self-sufficiency and prosperity.
Our vision is that all women and their families can achieve their full potential in a world without discrimination.
This requires a focus on the future, anticipating the needs of our clients, and creating innovative solutions to the problems they most often face – poverty, unsafe living conditions, lack of reliable and affordable childcare, and under- or unemployment.
We are evolving our services to meet changing needs today and in the future.
We remain rooted in rich history, but our approach to serving our community is holistic, strategic and innovative.
Nationally, YWCA advocacy issues include lobbying for pay equity and hate crimes legislation, increased funding for Head Start and passing the Violence Against Women Act. Locally, through our programs, we are changing lives and restoring hope for women, their families, and our community!
Child Development Program ↘
A growing shortage of affordable, quality childcare plagues the Los Angeles region. YWCA Greater Los Angeles addresses this need by offering an exceptional Child Development program to low-income families. Our nurturing learning environment allows children to flourish while empowering parents to continue to work, seek employment, or attend school or vocational training improving overall quality of life. YWCA Greater Los Angeles aspires to enrich lives through a holistic family approach to create empowered and educated individuals.
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Infant and Toddler Program
The program is offered at three locations. The Infant Learning Center serves teenage mothers.
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Preschool Program
The Preschool program for children aged 3-5 utilizes the High Scope curriculum at all five centers.
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Child360 / Quality Start Los Angeles
All the six sites participate with QSLA and have been assessed at a Tier 4 High- Quality Centers.
Youth and Workforce Development ↘
Workforce development is implemented through two premier programs – Youth Empowerment and Leadership at the Career Training Academy.
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Community Need
With competition for well-paying jobs on the rise in the Greater Los Angeles area, it is even more crucial that individuals are prepared with appropriate workplace skills.
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Empowerment Centers
Empowerment Centers provide K-12 youth with academic enrichment and Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) instruction after school in the Edison International Computer Lab.
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Career Training Academy
Young women can enter or rejoin the workforce by learning skills in an office environment.
Senior Empowerment ↘
With the second largest elderly population in the country, there is a great need for holistic senior programs in Los Angeles. Seniors in our communities increasingly face food insecurity, the threat of homelessness, and are heavily impacted by preventable diseases. Through community building and engagement, we assist our seniors in obtaining healthy lifestyles.
Sexual Assault Crisis Services ↘
The YWCA Greater Los Angeles Sexual Assault Services provides comprehensive services for all survivors of sexual assault, rape, human sex trafficking, and other forms of sexual violence.
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Community Need
Even though rape, human sex trafficking, and sexual violence are underreported, it is estimated that 1 in 4 women have been victimized by sexual violence. Supportive services offered by the YWCA Greater Los Angeles at three community rape crisis centers and through a satellite office at California State University, Long Beach, are crucial.
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Crisis Intervention
One goal of Sexual Assault Crisis Services (SACS) is to provide comprehensive crisis intervention services 24 hours a day to survivors of sexual violence to help them access medical care and forensic medical exams and, if they choose, to file reports with the criminal and civil justice systems.
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Emotional Support
We provide ongoing emotional support through accompaniment, advocacy, case management, and counseling to recover from, and cope with, their traumatic experiences. Responding to the needs of underserved communities impacted by sexual violence has been a priority of the YWCA Greater Los Angeles for 36 years.
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In Person and Online
In March 2020, SACS integrated virtual services, offering online sexual assault classes, workshops, certification training, and human trafficking seminars led by staff members and advocates.