Kern County Department of Human Services

? On National Adoption Day, 32 children in Kern County found their forever families! KCDHS proudly hosted this meaningful celebration, marking a significant chapter in their lives! ? We want to give a big thank you to all our wonderful partners who helped make this amazing event happen! Koinonia Family Services, Kern Bridges, Superior Court of California, County of Kern,?CASA of Kern County?,?Aspiranet, Blue Anthem, Stay Focused Ministries,?Kern County Animal Services,?Bakersfield Angels,?Bakersfield College Softball,?THE 501ST LEGION FOUNDATION INC.?, and our DHS Adoption Staff!

KCDHS's Holiday Cottage program is officially open, and we can't wait for you to join us in bringing some holiday magic to Kern County foster youth. Let’s work together to make their wishes come true! Located at 3043 Wilson Road, Bakersfield, CA. Come in to take a wish and bring back a gift for the child. ??If your organization would like to sponsor our Annual Holiday Cottage, please email us at [email protected]. ?For more information or to pick a wish online visit KernHolidayCottage.com #holidaycottagekerncounty?#kerncountydhs?#grantawish?#holidaycottage

KCDHS Child Welfare Assistant Director’s office is pleased to announce Hilda Gurrola as November 2024 Employee of the Month! Hilda began her career with Kern County in 2008 as an Office Services Technician. Over the years, she has continued to demonstrate exceptional dedication and leadership, promoting to her current role as Administrative Coordinator in the Child Protective Services (CPS) Assistant Director’s (AD) Office. With 16.5 years of service to Kern County and an additional 16.5 years with Los Angeles County, her wealth of experience is invaluable to our team. Hilda is responsible for all CPS hiring processes and oversees the workflow in the CPS AD’s office and the Legal Processing Unit. Known for her optimism, problem-solving skills, and leadership, Hilda continues to prioritize the needs of others while maintaining a positive demeanor, even on challenging days. Staff have shared that Hilda goes above and beyond in her role. Known for her warm smile and friendly greetings, she’s always approachable and ready to assist with any questions. Whenever help is required—be it submitting timesheets, securing HR forms, travel requests, or other administrative needs—Hilda is the go-to person. In fact, one supervisor shared they train their staff to reach out to her for administrative issues, knowing she’ll know how to fix it. Hilda is married to (Victor) and is the proud mother of four children: Melinda (35), a registered nurse; Raquel (32), a corporate accountant; Cristina (17), a high school senior; and Sergio (14), a high school freshman. She also has a 2-year-old granddaughter, who is the apple of her eye. In her free time, Hilda enjoys working on brain puzzles and loves to travel. Congratulations Hilda!

It's the 37th year of the Holiday Cottage program created by KCDHS to grant the wishes of Kern County foster youth during the holidays. We invite our community to participate in fulfilling foster youth wishes on November 14th! ??Located at 3043 Wilson Road, come in and take a wish and bring back the child’s gift. ?Hours: November 14 - December 6 Monday - Saturday: 10 AM - 4 PM ?Closures: We are CLOSED on Sundays and November 28 - 30. If your organization would like to sponsor our Annual Holiday Cottage, please email us at [email protected]. To learn more please visit Kernholidaycottage.com

KCDHS Employee Training and Development is pleased to announce Amanda P. Sanchez as October 2024 Employee of the Month! Amanda began her career at DHS in 2007 as an Eligibility Worker. In 2009, Amanda became a Human Services Technician and in 2016 promoted to Human Services Supervisor in the Call Center and CalFresh/Medi-Cal Processing Services Division. In 2020, Amanda joined the Employee Training and Development (ET&D) team where she continues to be a valuable contributor to the Unit’s success. Amanda has been instrumental in leading and adapting to departmental changes, including co-leading the first hybrid HST induction class in 2020 and serving on workgroups and committees for the transition to the CalSAWS system in 2021. In 2022, she was part of the SERVE Workgroup, which re-designed customer services. Amanda provides Induction Training for new HST/EWs and organizes ongoing trainings for staff, including the yearly CalFresh Management Evaluation Training and the monthly CalFresh newsletter. She also assists with office observations and works with the PACE team to identify error trends and develop training. Amanda is flexible in her teaching methods and knowledgeable on the subjects she teaches. Being healthy and happy are important to Amanda and she has embraced the department’s Blue Zones Project initiative. Amanda serves as a Co-Ambassador for the Commerce office, putting together events and providing awareness and encouragement for participation. Amanda also makes sure everyone in the Unit feels special on their birthday by planning birthday lunches. Amanda embraces DHS Core Values daily and we are lucky to have her as part of the team!?

Today, our Children's Visitation Center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the collaboration with Kern County Literacy Council. Thanks to the Kern County Literacy Council, a book vending machine will be stocked with free books for the children who visit the center. The aim is to encourage children to love reading and promote positive family engagement. Once again, we express our heartfelt gratitude to the Kern Literacy Council for their generous donation! KERN LITERACY COUNCIL

#KCDHSSuccess We are immensely proud of Yesenia Cortez for successfully completing our Welfare to Work program and securing a job after experiencing homelessness. She is now thriving as a Pantry Technician at CAPK Food Bank! Watch the interview here: https://lnkd.in/gxsQtZ6G

From September 16th to 20th, we are sharing the importance of healthy sleep for students of all ages. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the Sleep Research Society, it is recommended that young adults get 7 to 9 hours of sleep ??. However, due to the effects of the pandemic, excessive screen time from electronics and other factors, students' mental health, academic performance, school attendance, and physical well-being have been adversely affected. In our latest podcast, we held a virtual interview with Dr. Kin Yuen, a board-certified sleep medicine specialist and Associate Professor at UCSF. During the interview, she explored the sleeping habits in America, discussed how teens and young children have different internal clocks, offered tips on easing a child into a sleep routine, and much more. Helpful Information: https://lnkd.in/eBiWM5Xj https://lnkd.in/g2Py3Gzi About Dr. Kin Yuen: https://lnkd.in/g6fcwQeq There are several ways to listen, click on the link below that works best for you! ?? ? https://lnkd.in/gS6_Jqah ? https://lnkd.in/dRDbU328 ? or Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3HC8F66 #StudentSleepHealthWeek #SleepHealth

KCDHS Employment and Financial Services is pleased to announce Dana Marshall as September 2024 Employee of the Month! Dana began her career at DHS as an Extra Help Social Service Worker (SSW) in CPS assigned to the ER Phone Room. In May 2015, she obtained a permanent position as a Social Service Worker assigned to the Employment Services Division, where she has been since then. Over the years, she has worked in many areas of the Employment Services Welfare-To-Work (WTW) program including the Training, Mentoring,' NOW Workshop, and Family Stabilization units. Dana was also responsible for implementing the Women and Girls Grant-Follow Your Dreams Program. In March 2021, she was promoted to Social Service Supervisor. Currently, Dana oversees the WTW Training Unit, where she is dedicated to providing top-notch training for both new and existing employees. Dana, WTW Training Unit Supervisor, oversees key areas for program operation and serves on Streamlining and Morale Committees, providing valuable feedback and assistance due to her wealth of knowledge. In 2022, Dana collaborated with Exemplar to develop the Online Welfare to Work Portal (OWP), which serves as a bridge between Employment Services SSWs and their customers. Qualities that make Dana the perfect Training Supervisor include, but are not, limited to, her calm and composed demeanor, her ability to explain concepts clearly and concisely, her strong work ethic, integrity, and dependability. Whether she is conferencing with a new trainee or offering feedback on new policies, she is always dedicated and fully engaged with the task at hand. While Dana values her work, family remains her top priority. She takes great pride in her two children, Kade and Alex, and is dedicated to spending quality time with her loved ones, including her husband Eric. Outside of work, Dana is likely to be found cheering on her kids at volleyball and baseball games. She also enjoys playing pickleball, reading, and spending time outdoors, especially at the coast! Employment and Financial Services is lucky to have Dana on the team. We are proud to recognize her as September's Employee of the Month!

By joining forces, the Kern County Department of Human Services and the Kern County Superintendent of Schools have made it possible to bring the empowering and reliable transportation services of HopSkipDrive to the Bakersfield Metro area for youth in foster care. This collaboration ensures that foster youth can seamlessly access transportation to attend their classes, providing them with the support they need to pursue their education and future. Tune in as Curt Willliams, Director of Homeless and Foster Youth Services of KCSOS and DHS Program Director, Monica Goodell-Thatcher as they provide helpful information about HopSkipDrive. For resource parents, please visit https://lnkd.in/gRWfhw_j, or email [email protected] or 661-636-4900 for more information Article: https://lnkd.in/g_egVYB4 ?? There are several ways to listen, click on the link below that works best for you!? ??https://lnkd.in/gS6_Jqah ??https://lnkd.in/dRDbU328 ? or Spotify -?https://spoti.fi/3HC8F66