One of Lincoln's consistent champions over the past several years has been the Bernard E. & Alba Witkin Charitable Foundation, which has been a supporter of Lincoln's programming since 1998. In particular, the late Alba Witkin -- who was well known in the Bay Area for her generosity and support of many local organizations -- had a special interest in supporting early childhood education, due to its long-term impact on children. 

Young people who come into contact with both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems---also known as crossover youth---are among the most vulnerable of California’s children. These young people are more likely to be separated from their families, experience frequent placement changes, suffer behavioral health problems, and have poor educational outcomes when compared with children not in contact with both systems, according to a 2011 Los Angeles County Report.

We’re excited to announce our new name, Lincoln, and the launch of our new logo, graphic identity and website. With the move back to our roots in West Oakland, we embarked on an exciting journey to give the Lincoln brand and website a fresh new look.

For 14 years, Lincoln has offered kinship services to all relative caregivers, their children (under 18), the kin children they are raising, and the children's birthparents in Alameda County. Last week, our U.S. Senate adopted the Kinship Care Month Resolution. This Resolution helps endorse the importance of kinship care services and family-based care. 

On the evening of Tuesday, October 13, 2015, many long-time volunteers gathered at Trader Vic’s in Emeryville to honor this year’s recipients of Lincoln’s James Mann Award. Since 1978, this award, named for Lincoln’s leader from 1957-1975, has annually recognized extraordinary contributions to Lincoln’s work in the community. 

The S.H. Cowell Foundation recently awarded Lincoln's Family Resource Center, located at the joint campus of New Highland Academy and RISE Community School, $70,000. A portion of this funding will be used to support the hiring of a new, part-time Program Coordinator, whose primary job will be to help gather program data and evaluations for more than a dozen services and programs offered at the FRC.

This month, we would like to highlight Annabella (Annie) Flores, the coordinator of Lincoln Child Center's Family Resource Center (FRC).

"We come in to support the family and child and the foster care system so the parents and child have what they need to be successful versus just sending the child to therapy. It’s a family approach." –Kim Catanzano, Lincoln program manager. 

The nearly three dozen teenage boys—laughing, dancing, chanting and singing—didn’t look like robbers, car thieves or vandals. They looked like goofy kids at summer camp. Read how Lincoln’s Freedom School program sets probation youth on a new path.

"When I got here, I don’t talk to nobody—I thought, I came here alone, I’m going to leave alone. But now I got all these friends and once we get out of here the team will stay together." Learn more about our very special Probation Freedom School at Camp Sweeney and how Lincoln blends our staff with employees and teachers from the Alameda County Probation Office and the Alameda County of Education to change lives. 

We are delighted to announce that Lincoln has been named a Top Workplace by Bay Area News Group for the third year in a row! The evaluation for the Top Workplaces program is based upon employee feedback gathered in a survey of approximately 6,000 workplaces in the Bay Area.

Hear KPFA’s About Health segment focusing on Lincoln’s mental health work.

KPIX 5 Morning Weather Anchor Roberta Gonzales answers the questions you never get to ask on-air.

Since 1949, Mental Health Month has been observed in May by reaching millions of people in the United States in hopes of understanding mental illness, increasing access to treatment, and ensuring those who are struggling to know they are not alone.

Lincoln leaders speak out at the Commonwealth Club about how to address the negative impact disproportionate discipline, trauma and truancy have on low-income students and communities of color at Commonwealth Club of California.

Every person responsible for treating and supporting a young person in care—therapists, psychiatrists, counseling staff, family members, case workers, friends and the young person herself—must work as a team towards the goal of that child having a permanent home.

For the third year, Lincoln convened California lawmakers, experts in children’s mental health and advocates for a forum on children’s mental health policy. Read more about the packed gathering and the community conversation about the critical need to address children’s mental health issues in California.

Hear KCBS' coverage of Lincoln’s forum focusing attention on youth mental health: 

This month, Lincoln Child Center is pleased to feature Tony Thurmond who has worked for Lincoln for four years. In his role as Senior Director of Community and Government Relations, Tony works with elected and government leaders to expand Lincoln’s service contracts and to establish community and corporate partners who can support its programs.