July 4, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Venice Family Clinic’s New Program Expands Services to Families From Pregnancy Through First Three Years of Child’s Life

Tikun Olam Foundation’s $5 million grant helps create the community connection at nonprofit community health center 

Venice Family Clinic, a nonprofit community health center providing comprehensive care to over 45,000 people in need from the Santa Monica Mountains through the South Bay, is expanding and integrating its medical, mental health, early childhood education and other services to young families with an innovative initiative called The Community Connection.

Launched with a $5 million grant from the Tikun Olam Foundation, The Community Connection serves families from the moment they are expecting a child through the first three years of the child’s life.

It is designed to build better health outcomes and foster economic opportunity and increased resilience for the Clinic’s most vulnerable families so they can break the cycle of poverty. The Clinic serves approximately 2,200 new and expecting families. Three out of four of them live at or below the poverty line, which is $26,500 or less in income annually for a family of four, putting them at disproportionate risk for poorer health and economic outcomes.

The Community Connection enhances the Clinic’s support for these families through a comprehensive model of care that expands and integrates six key services: family care teams, doulas and lactation consultants, infant mental health therapy, playgroups, classes and support services, and adult job education and job training.

“With young families facing increasingly complex challenges, Venice Family Clinic developed this model of care to help support the families we serve who have young children,” said Venice Family Clinic CEO Elizabeth Benson Forer. “The Community Connection addresses the inequities that contribute to the cycle of poverty by providing medical care, mental health, early childhood education and social services in a very coordinated way to young families in need. We are especially grateful to the Tikun Olam Foundation of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles for its vision and generosity, which sparked this innovative work and made possible the launch of this program.”

The Tikun Olam Foundation initially provided a generous planning grant in January 2021 that allowed the Clinic to engage key stakeholders in designing a program to address the needs of young families. The Foundation then donated an additional $5 million – the largest programmatic grant in the Clinic’s history – to establish The Community Connection and serve as a lead gift that would encourage other philanthropists to support the program.   

“Tikun Olam are Hebrew words that translate to ‘repair the world,’ and The Community Connection is indeed repairing an important part of our world by helping to lift families out of poverty,” said Gene Stein, co-founder of the Tikun Olam Foundation. “We are proud to support Venice Family Clinic in creating this innovative and vital program, and we hope that The Community Connection will inspire other donors to invest in this community health center and in families with young children.”

The Community Connection’s wide range of integrated services to new and expecting families include:

  • Family care teams: An interdisciplinary team of pediatricians, therapists, health educators, Early Head Start personnel, case managers and other professionals meet monthly to discuss and coordinate care for high-risk families to ensure they can take advantage of the full range of care that the Clinic offers.
  • Doulas and lactation consultation: Doulas assist families with prenatal and postnatal care, helping to support and educate the expecting mother about birth. A certified lactation consultant will help parents navigate potential feeding challenges.
  • Infant mental health therapy: Parents have the option to receive therapy to prepare them for parenthood and create healthy, attuned attachment between parent and child.
  • Playgroups: Playgroups help children begin to socialize and provide connection for parents who may feel isolated, all while parents learn about healthy child development and connect with other parents in their community.
  • Classes and support services: These include classes in parenting skills and family relationships, chronic disease management and prevention, nutrition and healthy cooking, exercise, pregnancy classes and group family classes for parents and children.
  • Adult job education and job training: To help families struggling to find good-paying jobs with benefits, Venice Family Clinic will partner with the Los Angeles Unified School District to give parents access to enhanced employment opportunities.

Programs are being offered in person and virtually at several of the Clinic’s 17 sites. A recently purchased new community center for health and wellness in Inglewood will serve as the hub of the program when renovations of the building are completed. Families will be able to access services and connect with one another at this new location.

Related Posts

(Video) A visit to New York Bagel & Deli in Santa Monica

July 3, 2025

July 3, 2025

Authentic NY Style Bagels with Extra Creamy Cream Cheese and Multi-Cultural Desserts. Located at 2216 Wilshire Blvd. A visit to...

Hot Dogs & Rosé: Something About Her and The Culver Hotel Roll Out Summer Specials

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Westside Venues to Serve Playful Bites and Seasonal Sips For the Holiday Weekend A bold new offering is making its...

NeueHouse Hosts Bold One-Night Dinner With Culinary Phenomenon Diego Argoti

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Acclaimed Chef Brings Culinary Mischief With a Five-Course Tasting Experience. NeueHouse Hollywood will host an exclusive, one-night-only dining event on...

(Video) Legacy, Reimagined: Architecture, Design & Construction by Home Front Build Los Angeles

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Go To Homefrontbuild.com For More Information @home_front_build Legacy, Reimagined: Architecture, Design & Construction by Home Front Build Los Angeles Go...

405 Crash Near the Getty Sends Three to Hospital: Two Seriously Hurt Near Site Where LAPD Sgt. Died

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Early Morning Multi-Vehicle Collision Shut Down Lanes Near Brentwood Three men were injured and traffic was snarled for hours following...

Elephants Take Over Beverly Hills: Global Art Exhibit Makes Final Stop at Beverly Gardens Park

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Traveling Installation of Life-Size Sculptures Crafted by Indigenous Artisans Arrives in Beverly Hills Life-size sculptures of Indian elephants have arrived...

Pentagon Orders Troop Drawdown in LA: 150 National Guard Members Reassigned to Wildfire Duty

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Federal Forces Begin Partial Withdrawal From Protest Response as California Leaders Push Back U.S. Northern Command announced Tuesday that 150...

California Highway Patrol Deploys for Independence Day Enforcement Surge

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

All Available Officers to Hit California Highways for Holiday Weekend As Californians gear up for Fourth of July festivities, the...

Court Postpones Arraignment for Driver in Malibu Crash That Killed Four Students

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Fraser Michael Bohm Faces Murder Charges in Fatal PCH Wreck  The arraignment for Fraser Michael Bohm, the 23-year-old man accused...

(Video) Los Angeles County Supervisor from the 2nd district, Holly J. Mitchel, Gives a Powerful Speech

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Supervisor Mitchell Called on Residents to take action at the rally for Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano in Culver City.

Top Military Commander Urges Return of Troops Deployed to ICE Protest Response

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

General Requests 200 National Guard Soldiers Be Returned to California Wildfire Unit The senior U.S. military officer overseeing federal forces...

Second Victim Killed Alongside LAPD Sergeant in Brentwood 405 Crash Identified

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Authorities Confirm Garcia, 34, Died at the Scene, GoFundMe Launched  Authorities have identified the civilian who was killed alongside a...

The Westside Lights Up for July 4: Fireworks, Drone Shows, and Parades Return Across West Los Angeles

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

From Marina Del Rey’s Fireworks to Culver City’s 1980s-Themed Drone Show, Get Ready to Celebrate From fireworks over Marina del...

Historic Sawtelle Nursery Site Could Become 40-Unit Townhome Complex

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Sawtelle Continues to Change as Nursery Site Faces Redevelopment Plans have been submitted to redevelop a nursery site, F.K. Nursery,...

California Judge Rules FAIR Plan’s Smoke Damage Policy Unlawful

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

Court Says Wildfire Insurance Program Illegally Denied Claims Legal protections for California homeowners took a step forward this week after...