Their Mission
Para Los Niños raises children out of poverty and into brighter futures through positive educational opportunities and wrap-around support.
What They Do Do
Founded on Skid Row in 1980, Para Los Niños is a nonprofit social services and education organization dedicated to the success of L.A.’s neediest children and families. With six early education centers and three charter schools serving some 1,570 low-income children (ages 6 months to 14 years), Para Los Niños places education at the core of its mission to break the cycle of poverty. The organization provides a comprehensive social services model that incorporates: high-quality education, family support and mental health services, parent engagement and community building opportunities to thousands of children living in at-risk neighborhoods in Los Angeles County. Para Los Niños serves 5,100 children, youth and families each year.
Their History
Para Los Niños translates to “For the Children.” The Para Los Niños organization was founded so that no child would be forgotten.Para Los Ninos in 1979In October 1979, the Los Angeles Times published an article that galvanized a community. It was the first of many to spotlight the plight of children and families living in the depths of despair in Los Angeles’ inner cities. It spoke of children living in Skid Row, locked in hotel rooms or left alone to wander dangerous neighborhood streets, while their parents worked to survive. At that time, little attention was paid to these forgotten children. Few services and safe havens existed for these young boys and girls. Ninety percent did not attend school.Within a year of the article appearing in the Los Angeles Times, social worker Tanya Tull founded Para Los Niños. In 1980, the organization came to life in a factory where at-risk children, eager for a chance to learn, were offered a safe and nurturing environment filled with exploration, hope and opportunity.Today, Para Los Niños continues to respond to the ever-growing and ever-changing needs of Southern California’s most challenging communities. The organization’s proven approach helps to build stronger, more stable families and brighter futures for children.For more information click here.
Join Kari Steele this Sunday as she sits down with President & Chief Executive Officer of Para Los Ninos, Drew Furedi.
Drew has more than 20 years of experience working in and managing school systems and non-profits. He spent the last six years in various leadership roles with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), most recently on district-wide efforts to develop and implement new technologies. Prior to his work with LAUSD, Drew led the Loyola Marymount University Family of Schools, seven LA public schools supported by Loyola Marymount University serving approximately 4,500 students. During Drew’s tenure, academic performance as measured by state testing increased in 6 of the seven schools; graduation rates climbed; and algebra readiness improved across the board. Before leading the Loyola Marymount Family of Schools, Drew was a Partner with The New Teacher Project where he directed a nationwide effort to attract teachers to urban and rural school districts that were difficult to staff, netting more than 10,000 teacher applicants. Drew began his career as a teacher in Baltimore Public Schools as Teach for America corps member.