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Our Mission

The mission of Kern County Network for Children is to protect and enrich the lives of children in Kern County through the commitment of all community partners by helping to build and sustain healthy families.

Our Goals

squarebullet: Strengthening families, thereby enriching the lives of our children
squarebullet: Promoting family self-sufficiency
squarebullet: Identifying the most critical children's issues county-wide, and developing strategies for addressing these issues
squarebullet: Determining gaps and overlaps in services
squarebullet: Sharing information about children's services and recommending ways to make them more effective and efficient

Meet Our Governing Board

The KCNC Governing Board is a dedicated group of County senior policy makers, representatives from private business and leaders of community based organizations that explores needed changes in county policies and develops public/private partnerships to improve the lives of Kern County children and their families.

cccccarseat062: Back-to-School Car Seat Inspection

Teen Depression & Suicide

Among Americans ages 10 to 24, suicide is the third-leading cause of death, accounting for about 4,600 deaths a year. Prevention of suicide involves both individuals and communities. September has been named Suicide Prevention Month to bring this tragic problem into the open and focus on efforts to prevent it.

Learn more today about protecting children in and around cars at KernCares.Org.

Welcome to the Network For Children!

Created in 1992, the Kern County Network for Children (KCNC) harnesses the power of community action in meeting the critical needs of Kern County's children and families. KCNC takes pride in assisting local community collaboratives and family service agencies in developing integrated service delivery models to help identify and address the most critical children's issues in Kern County.

We believe in:

  • Personal responsibility and family self-sufficiency as the cornerstones of resilient, stable communities;
  • Grassroots solutions to local problems;
  • Empowering local residents to address common concerns;
  • Locally-based, accessible services;
  • Program accountability and delivery of cost-effective services

KCNC programs and initiatives serve many functions benefiting children and families in Kern County and are carried out through the active involvement of government leaders, nonprofit agencies, organizations, businesses and private individuals.

Promoting Community Connections
  • General Collaborative Meetings
  • Resources & technical assistance to family service providers
  • Kern County Report Card
  • GIS Task Force
  • Event calendar
    		• Advocating for Families & Children
  • Kern Cares
  • Differential Response
  • Foster Youth Dream Center & Coffee House
  • Foster Youth Services & AB490 liaison activities
  • Directory of Local Collaboratives
  • Community resources to assist families
    		• Developing Community Leadership
  • Training opportunities
  • Leadership Development Program
  • Recipes for Community Success Handbook
  • Post your agency's training on the KCNC website

    • What's New

  • Kern County Network for Children Local Collaborative Accreditation 2010 Annual Report
  • Kern County Service Provider Resource Guide
  • Tips for Differential Service Providers: Building Rapport with Families & Home Visit Safety
  • The KCNC Newsletter has gone electronic! Sign up today to receive it via your computer!
  • Register on-line for KCNC trainings and events

    KCNC 5-Minute Agency Spotlight

    Name: Tammy Reynolds
    Title/Position:GoodGuides Program Coordinator
    Agency Name: Goodwill Industries of South Central California
    Phone Number: 661-837-0595 x361 or 661-343-2979
    Fax Number: 661-322-7590
    Website Address: www.giscc.org

    How would you describe your agency and your role at the agency?
    "I am the Program Coordinator for the Goodguides Youth Mentoring program at Goodwill. Our local Goodwill believes that everyone has the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential through the power of work. Our mission is to provide work opportunities and skills development to people with barriers to employment.

    I currently run the youth mentoring program at our local Goodwill. This program is open to youth ages 12 to 17, for any youth who is having trouble in school or at home and for any youth who would like to be paired with an adult to help make good decisions now, that will lay the foundation for the adult they want to be. In our program we do career exploration and we open up opportunities to the youth in our community."

    Join us at the next General Collaborative Meeting for your chance to be our next KCNC 5 Minute Spotlight! Meet our previous KCNC 5 Minute Spotlights!

    Kern County Network for Children is recognized throughout the county, state, and nation by the following organizations for innovative, collaborative approaches to caring for children and families:

    United States Conference of Mayors • National Association of Counties • National League of Cities • American Association of School Administrators • International City/County Management Association • National School Boards Association • California State Association of Counties • California Department of Health Services • Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce • Junior League of Bakersfield • United Way of Kern County • Kern COG • Mexican American Opportunity Foundation • The Foundation Consortium


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