To find out more about our Services for Children & Youth or to begin participating in any of our programs, please contact our main office at (831) 426-3062 to speak with a staff person or make an appointment with a youth advocate.

Teens who are experiencing dating violence or violence at home may use our domestic violence services, including our 24-hour hotline, and do not need to have parental/guardian permission to do so.

To learn more about free creative workshops and our annual Teen Art Show, click here!

Services for Children & Youth

Services for Children & Youth is part of our Advocacy & Prevention Department.

The mission of the Services for Children & Youth Program is to increase resiliency, amplify youth voices, and raise expectations for healthy relationships, equipping marginalized youth with the necessary tools for equity and positive social change for themselves and their community.

We offer three different categories of programming for children and youth through preventative education, individual mentoring, and support groups. All of our youth programming is gender-inclusive and free of cost.

Teen Group
(ages 12-18)

Teen Group provides youth ages 12-18 with a safe space to build their self-esteem, develop healthy relationship skills, and gain community support from peers and safe adult(s). This communal space provides an opportunity for youth to speak and be heard on issues that are most impactful to them and their lived experience ranging from friendship/sibling conflicts to experiences of oppression they or their families experience. Youth are provided the space to speak about these experiences while receiving emotional support in navigating these challenging situations from both their peers and a safe adult. Through workshops, games, and discussions we support youth in learning, understanding, and practicing healthy relationship skills, self-advocacy skills, self-care skills and the opportunity to develop their sense of self in a safe, supportive environment. Teen Group occurs on a weekly basis and is open to youth of all genders and identities. 

“I learned to respect myself and others.”  –Youth, 13

 “I feel different after (Group).  Like, I'm more ready to live the rest of my life. This was really important to me.” –Youth, 15

 “I like that I can talk to the leaders about whatever is going on in my life.”  –Youth, 13

“We play games and do different activities each week, it’s fun!” –Youth, 12

One-on-One Mentoring
(ages 8-18)

What is mentoring?

One-on-one youth mentoring provides a safe, gender-inclusive space for young people to discuss their life, learn coping skills, increase resilience, explore goals and interests, learn about healthy relationship skills, and have fun. Mentoring pairs a young person with a trained staff youth advocate, who builds a relationship with the mentee as another safe adult in their life. Mentees generally decide the pace and activities of each mentoring appointment, getting to choose between art, games, talking, going on walks, or other activities. Mentees and mentors meet on a weekly basis.

Is mentoring therapy?

Though mentoring is NOT therapy, it is a supportive trauma-informed environment where feelings can be explored to learn how to cope and respond non-violently. Mentoring is an excellent addition to therapy. 

Mentoring is also a good fit for any parents/guardians who are interested in ensuring their children get their own support system, learn valuable self-regulation skills, and/or give their children an hour every week where they get to decide what to do.

“[My mentor] helped me feel like it was okay to be myself." –Mentee 

“I can tell my mentor anything! We have so much fun too.” –Mentee

Kids Club
(ages 0-12)

What is Kids Club?

Kids Club is a free, trauma-informed child care program. Trained volunteers provide a safe place for kids to play and engage with supportive adults while their parent/guardian is participating in one of our support groups, classes, or other services. Kids Club takes place in our Kids Club House, full of toys, art supplies, and games. Kids Club can be another opportunity for children exposed to trauma to develop casual stable relationships with safe adults, who they get to have fun with. 

  • Kids Club is solely for the children of participants attending support groups, classes, and (with scheduling) an appointment with an advocate. Kids Club is for children under 12 years old. 

  • If you need childcare during your advocacy appointment, please let your advocate know ahead of time so we can find a trained volunteer to provide childcare.

Workshops on Healthy Relationships
(Middle School and High School)

Our youth advocates are happy to bring FREE information, resources, and activities on fostering healthy relationships skills! If you have a classroom, extracurricular group, group home, or youth organization and you’d like our youth advocates to facilitate one of our many gender-inclusive workshops with your young people, let us know by emailing our Youth Prevention Specialist/Bilingual Youth Advocate, Ana Velazquez, at avelazquez@wafwc.org. 

 

Preventative Education

For schools, youth programs, and educators: please check out this digital packet for more information on how we can support your students, staff, and faculty.

Healthy Relationships Workshops

The “Healthy Relationships” workshop series is an interactive workshop which promotes healthy relationships and dialogue around issues of dating and domestic violence. Utilizing an evidence-based curricula (Dating Matters and Safe Dates), these workshops have been created based on the high prevalence of teen dating violence and domestic violence. Topics include healthy friendships, teen dating violence, gender stereotypes, boundaries, self-regulation, and healthy communication with friends and dating partners. Youth participants are also taught about local resources, ways to help their friends who may encounter teen dating violence, and how to talk to a friend who is behaving abusively. 

At the end of the workshop, trained youth advocates answer anonymous questions to ensure that immediate relationship safety concerns are being addressed. Some of the questions have included the following:

  •  “How do I decide if a mistake someone made is severe enough to break up with them?”

  •  “How do I express my concerns about my friend’s new relationship without her thinking I’m unsupportive?”

  • “If you can’t break up with someone at school, how do you like [sic] set up a date type thing?”

  • “What do I do if my partner says they’ll hurt themselves if we break up?”

“I really liked your program. I learned a lot, and it was really, really helpful. Thank you!” –Workshop Participant

“Very interesting. I didn’t realize tech abuse was a real thing.” --Workshop Participant

Interested in volunteering with kids and teens?

You can check out our Volunteering page for more information or call our main office at (831) 426-3062 or email Marjorie Coffey at mcoffey@wafwc.org.

Are you a teen interested in volunteering? Join our Youth Advisory Committee!

The Youth Advisory Committee is a platform for local youth ages 14-18 to have a direct say in agency direct service practices geared towards youth while learning leadership skills to promote positive social change that advocates for equity and safe, healthy relationships for all. This is a space where youth can make the connections between the personal relationships in everyone's lives and the larger social forces at play that can impact those relationships in the forms of domestic/dating violence and family violence. We always welcome new members looking for an opportunity to learn and advocate for positive anti-violence change in our community and in our culture!

Funding for this program provided by

  • United Way

  • CalOES

  • County of Santa Cruz