Human Services Association

Child Abuse Prevention & Intervention

HSA offers families a comprehensive list of programs to prevent and stop child abuse. All services are offered by caring professionals and include counseling, parenting classes, support groups, and other important programs that address child abuse.

Celia Marquez
(562) 806-5400, ext. 179
celia.marquez@hsala.org
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Domestic Violence Support Services

Current CalWORKS participants or persons eligible for CalWORKS qualify for HSA's Domestic Violence Assistance program. Clients and their children can benefit greatly from counseling, parenting classes, and emergency assistance, services all designed specifically for domestic violence victims.

Celia Marquez
(562) 806-5400, ext. 179
celia.marquez@hsala.org
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Pasitos School Readiness Program

The Pasitos (“little steps”) School Readiness Program provides early learning services to children ages zero to five in the cities of Huntington Park and South Gate. All services are dedicated to ensuring that children and their parents are prepared to enter kindergarten and receive support for the many years of schooling that lie ahead of them. Pasitos components include the Pre-Kindergarten Academy and Kindergarten Transition Program, as well as school readiness presentations, child focused activities, Motheread/Fatheread programs, parenting classes, and community outreach. An annual Kindergarten Transition Symposium is offered to childcare providers, preschool and kindergarten teachers, and other professionals working with children ages zero to five. Additionally, in collaboration with East Los Angeles College, the Pasitos Child Development Cohort provides 30 unlicensed early childhood professionals with bilingual child development classes.

LAUP’s goal is to make voluntary, high-quality preschool available to every four year-old child in LA County, regardless of family income, by 2014. Parents of children in HSA’s LAUP classrooms can feel confident that their four year-olds are in preschool programs that have been evaluated for quality, thereby increasing their child’s likelihood of graduating from high school and succeeding in all facets of life. The LAUP program welcomes parents into the classroom as active and engaged partners in their child’s preschool experience.

“Pasitos” Early Head Start is a federally funded program that provides services to:

Children ages 0 to 3 and pregnant women
Families must reside in the zip codes 90280-South Gate and 90201-Bell Gardens and Cudahy
The program offers comprehensive services and support
- Health services
- Nutrition services
- Mental health
- Social services
- Disabilities services
- Parent involvement
- Early childhood education

Early Head Start Center Based Option
We are a full day, full year program serving 16 infants and toddlers – from birth to age three – in a center based setting. Our center hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Our mission is to provide the individual interaction, personalized care, learning, exploration, and play that are essential components of an effective early childhood experience so that children develop cognitive and communicative skills, and establish meaningful relationships while enjoying their time in a physically safe setting.

Hollydale - Early Head Start Center – 12221 Industrial Ave., South Gate, CA 90280

Head Start Home Based Option
In the Home Based model, education services are delivered through weekly, parent-focused home visits by trained home based educators, who work with parent and child on activities designed to address their child’s individual needs. Bi-monthly socializations are provided to children and families.

For information call (323) 513-0594.

Family Preservation

HSA's Family Preservation program is designed to protect children by strengthening and preserving families whose children are at risk of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services refers all cases to HSA. The ultimate goal of the Family Preservation program is to assure the physical, emotional, social, educational, cultural, and spiritual development of children in a safe and nurturing environment.

Hermila Melero
(562) 806-5400, ext. 111
hermila.melero@hsala.org
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Food Distribution

Once a month, pre-bagged nonperishable food is distributed to low-income residents of Bell Gardens. Participants receive an ID card valid for one year, which must be presented the day of the distribution.

Elizabeth Alcantar
(562) 806-5400, ext. 168
elizabeth.alcantar@hsala.org
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Emergency Assistance

Food, translation and interpretation, and low-cost housing referrals are all components of HSA's emergency assistance plan. Advocacy and counseling by a full-time social worker are provided for issues such as SSI, Social Security, and General Relief benefits.

Parenting Classes

Weekly parenting classes in English and Spanish are offered at HSA and at different locations throughout the southeast area. There is a nominal fee for the 12-week courses, and a certificate of completion is awarded to each parent that successfuly completes the course.

Project Corazón

Project Corazón (“Project Heart”) is a child abuse prevention program that provides case management, in-home and onsite counseling, and parenting services to clients that live in the cities of Bell, Bell Gardens, Cudahy, Commerce, Huntington Park, and Maywood. Participants are referred to the program by DCFS. Pregnant women and teens with a history of mental health issues, domestic violence, or substance abuse that live in these cities also qualify for the program.

Celia Marquez
(562) 806-5400, ext. 179
celia.marquez@hsala.org
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Information & Referral Network

A computerized, state of the art information and referral network complements all agency services.

The Rider Relief Transportation Program (RRTP) provides fare subsidy coupons and tokens to eligible MTA, Long Beach Transit, Montebello bus lines, and Norwalk Transit bus riders who purchase daily, weekly, or monthly passes. Eligible participants include adults, K-12 and college/vocational students, senior citizens, and the disabled.

If you need more information please click here or contact:

Rider Relief Transportation Program (RRTP)
Phone: (562) 806-0250
E-mail: rrtp-info@hsala.org
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