Christina Sepulveda of Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove is one of 25 Club professionals who attended the training representing Clubs throughout the country serving as pilot sites for Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Family PLUS (Parents Leading, Uniting, Serving) Program which is supported by the Kimberly-Clark Corporation, a long-time partner of BGCA. Addressing key issues affecting the family structure, Family PLUS serves as a model to demonstrate how local Clubs can form collaborations with parents, other caregivers and community organizations to create a more positive environment for youth.

This important training equipped the attending Club professionals with the necessary tools to help them identify the needs of their families, monitor the progress of their programs, record data and report outcomes. One of the key goals of Family PLUS is to provide families with a network of community resources to meet their needs.

In addition to the classroom training, Christina Sepulveda had an opportunity to visit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas-well known for its superior family support initiatives.

"It was fantastic to learn about all the innovative Family PLUS programs that are going on within the Movement. Clubs are being recognized as a powerful support structure that can help enable families to reach their full potential. The wide range of services and programs being offered by Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation reaffirms that we are not only "the Positive Place for Kids!", but for families Too!", said Christina Sepulveda.

Christina returned home with new strategies on how to implement the five Family PLUS components (kinship care, social networks, father involvement, economic opportunity and outreach strategies) into the Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove existing family support curriculum. Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove has been providing family support programming that includes ARCHES (Access to Resources for Children's Health, Education and Support) Program at the CHOC Health Center focusing on family support. ARCHES enhances and complements the traditional children's health service delivery model by expanding services to ensure that the needs of the whole child are met. We realize that our role is important in today's world, because families truly depend on us to take an active part in their children's lives. Now, more than ever, the children of our community and their families are in need of additional support to help kids succeed in life. Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove is a leading advocate for quality programs to meet this critical need.