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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



Child Water Safety Month


Tragically, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children under the age of six. A drowning can happen in seconds and typically occurs when a child is left unattended or during a brief lapse in supervision.

Kern Cares reminds all adults that drowning is preventable and the best way to protect children and avoid tragedy is for adults to stay alert at all times when children are near water.

It's our responsibility!

Learn how to prevent child drowning in the home, at pools and in open water 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
  • 2013 KCNC Spring Newsletter
  • Directory of Local Collaboratives
  • Event calendar
  • General Collaborative Meetings
  • Kern County Report Card
  • Resources for family service providers
  • Kern 2-1-1 Online Resource Directory
  • Advocating for Families & Children
  • Community resources to assist families
  • Kern County Differential Response
  • Dream Center for Foster Youth
  • Foster Youth Services & AB490 liaison activities
  • Kern Cares
  • Kern Cares 2013/2014 Calendar
  • Developing Community Leadership
  • Leadership Development Program
  • Post your agency's training on the KCNC website
  • Recipes for Community Success Handbook
  • Training opportunities
  • What's New

  • The 2013 Report Card
  • California Child Abuse Mandated Reporter Training
  • Family Resource Center Service Matrix 2012
  • Kern Cares 2013/2014 Prevention Calendar
  • Kern County Service Provider Resource Guide
  • Register on-line for KCNC trainings and events
  • The KCNC Newsletter has gone electronic! Sign up today to receive it via your computer!
  • Tips for Differential Service Providers: Building Rapport with Families & Home Visit Safety




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