Juvenile Justice Family Support Programs

At Padres Unidos, we believe that families are essential partners in a young person’s healing, growth, and successful reintegration to society. In collaboration with the Juvenile Justice System and the Office of Restorative Justice, we provide for years a continuum of family-centered programs that strengthen relationships, build resilience, and create pathways to hope for youth and their families at every stage of the adjudication process.

Our work recognized that the incarceration of a young person impacts the entire family. Through education, mentorship, advocacy, and restorative practices, we help families navigate complex systems, strengthen communication, and reconnect with the strengths that already exist within their homes and communities.

By fostering collaboration among families, probation staff, community organizations, and justice system partners, these programs promote shared responsibility, accountability, and healing. Together, we work to ensure that young people return to supportive environments where they can thrive and contribute positively to their communities.

Program Highlights

Family Support and Information Program
Dedicated Community Workers provide individualized support, guidance, and information to families of incarcerated youth. The program helps families understand and navigate the juvenile justice system while strengthening family resilience and improving communication with system partners.

Parent Outreach and Education Program
Through culturally responsive education and peer support, parents gain practical tools, knowledge, and confidence to support their children. The program challenges feelings of hopelessness, strengthens parenting skills, and prepares every family member to contribute to create safe and stable environments for youth returning home.

Parent and Teen Conjoint Program
This dual-generation program brings together youth and their parents to rebuild trust, improve communication, and develop healthier patterns of interaction. The Parent and the youth together learn strategies to address conflict, strengthen relationships, and create plans for success during and after reentry.

Parent Mentor and Ongoing Support Program
Parents who complete the education program can continue their leadership journey by becoming mentors for other families navigating the juvenile court process. Parent Mentors help strengthen community support networks while giving back to this population.

Impact

The impact of these programs extends far beyond individual families. More than 1000 parents and youth have participated across all program components, demonstrating the trust families place in the program’s culturally grounded and family-centered approach that Padres Unidos offered

As Doug Sanger, Division Director of Juvenile Hall, noted:

“Padres Unidos understands the culture so well, the community. They are non-judgmental and meet parents where they are.”

For ten years, the Padres Unidos program served families involved in the juvenile justice system, reaching more than 1,000 families and producing measurable, documented outcomes. Program evaluations demonstrated strong reductions in recidivism, meaningful improvements in family engagement, and lasting positive impacts on participating youth and their families. These findings were further supported by extensive qualitative data and firsthand testimonials collected throughout the program’s implementation.

However, despite its proven effectiveness, Padres Unidos lost funding through a procurement process that prioritized the ability to produce competitive proposals rather than demonstrated outcomes and community impact.

The organization’s strength lies in its unique and culturally responsive approach to engaging juvenile justice families. To sustain and expand this work, we must establish a diversified funding strategy that brings together stakeholders who share a commitment to family-centered juvenile justice support. Through collective financial support, we can preserve and strengthen a model grounded in impact, accountability, and community need rather than access to power or resources.