Community Spotlight: Nuevo Amanecer Latino Children’s Services

At Open Doors, every training is an opportunity to learn alongside communities doing deeply meaningful work. Recently, we had the privilege of partnering with Nuevo Amanecer Latino Children’s Services (NALCS) at their Covina, California office, where we spent the day with their Foster Family Agency (FFA) staff.

NALCS serves children and families across Southern California with a strong commitment to culturally responsive care. Their work centers bilingual (English and Spanish), family-based treatment and child welfare services, supporting children who have experienced developmental challenges, abuse, neglect, or abandonment — especially within Latino communities. It’s clear that their approach is rooted not just in services, but in care, connection, and cultural understanding.

Grounded in Care & Community

The training brought together social workers and administrative staff who work closely with youth and families every day. From the start, the space felt collaborative and engaged. Participants demonstrated that they were not only committed to their roles but also to the well-being of the young people they support.

As part of the Open Doors core training, we explored how to engage youth in honest conversations around substance use and other behavioral health issues in a non-judgmental, relationship-centered way. The training emphasizes harm reduction, cultural humility, and youth autonomy. This equips youth-serving adults with practical tools that meet young people where they are.

As facilitator, Elle Grant, reflected:

“NALCS staff made us feel welcome and provided spectacular hospitality. We appreciated the opportunity to spend the day with them, learn together, and witness the love and compassion they bring to your work. We’re so thankful that they invited us into their space and community.”

That sense of mutual learning is at the heart of Open Doors. Trainings aren’t just about sharing tools; they’re about creating space for reflection, dialogue, and growth across different roles and experiences.

Learning That Sticks

One of the most meaningful parts of any training is hearing how it lands with participants. For Miguel Angel, an Intake Coordinator at NALCS, the experience stood out:

“Very informative, engaging. I don’t think I yawned even once, even though I’m usually falling asleep in other trainings.”

(Truly the highest compliment a training can get. 😄)

Why It Matters

Organizations like NALCS remind us what it looks like to center compassion in systems that can often feel rigid or overwhelming. Their work with foster families and youth requires not only skill, but deep empathy — and that’s exactly what showed up in the room.

We’re grateful to have spent time with a team so dedicated to supporting youth and families with dignity, cultural humility, and care. We look forward to continuing this work together and seeing how these conversations ripple out into the communities they serve.