Strengthening Families: Aspiranet's Cherish Receiving Center serves as safe haven for youth

According to the latest Child Maltreatment report by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, there were a nationally estimated 679,000 child victims of abuse and neglect, and an estimated 1,520 children who died from mistreatment in a single year.

Child Abuse Prevention Month in April is an opportunity to acknowledge programs that can prevent family situations from escalating abuse and educating the public on services that contribute to healthy families and reduce child abuse. Throughout this month, Aspiranet, one of the largest nonprofit human services agencies in California, will highlight its Strengthening Families Framework, an ongoing commitment to strengthen families that can lead to a reduction in child abuse. For more than 39 years, Aspiranet has launched innovative programs that have strengthened families. Among these include Monterey’s Cherish Receiving Center, which serves the lives of more than 260 children per year.

Since 2006, the Cherish Receiving Center has served as a safe haven to more than 1,000 youth ranging from newborns to age 17 when they have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. While in the Center, county social workers work to bridge the gap between youth and their next home by providing comfort and support to them through the initial trauma. The Cherish Receiving Center is a unique collaborative between Monterey County Employment and Human Services, lead agency Aspiranet, Visiting Nurses Association and Monterey County Behavioral Health.

Aspiranet’s Strengthening Families Framework underscores Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Five Protective Factors to end the cycle of child abuse in children. These five factors include: Nurturing and Attachment, Knowledge of Parenting and of Child and Youth Development, Parental Resilience, Social Connections, and Concrete Supports for Parents. These protective factors are critical for parents and caregivers as they provide a helpful conceptual framework for guiding with children and their families.

“This critical program works to alleviate the distress and confusion children experience when they are removed from their homes,” explains Kathy Davies, Family and Community Services Division Director for Aspiranet. “The Center and its staff provide a youth-friendly experience, including food, bathing, clothes, medical and mental health assessments, as well as multiple structured supervised activities.”

Community members who want to get more involved can join the local Impact Council or donate to support the ongoing programs provided by the center. Contact Kathy Davies at kdavies@aspiranet.org to learn more about joining the Impact Council.

About Aspiranet

Aspiranet, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity, supports foster children, siblings, families and the community with 35 core programs offering specialized services throughout 45 locations within California. Aspiranet strengthens children, families and communities through seven core programs including: Foster Care, Adoption, Residential, Transition Age Youth, Behavioral Health, Wraparound and Family and Community Services.

Founded 40 years ago as a six-bed group home for young boys in Moss Beach, Calif., Aspiranet is one of the most diverse nonprofit social service agencies in the state. With a statewide network of innovative services, Aspiranet serves more than 10,000 families each year. For more information, please visit www.aspiranet.org.