School and district leaders in Garden Grove Unified celebrate the opening of a new Family Resource Center at Bryant Arts Academy. From left are Bryant Elementary Assistant Principal Angie Balius, Assistant Superintendent of K-12 Educational Services Dr. Lorena Sanchez, Board of Education trustee Teri Rocco, Board of Education Vice President Lan Nguyen, Bryant Elementary Principal Tanya De Leon, Bryant PTO President Melvis Guzman, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education Lisa Swartz and Superintendent Dr. Gabriela Mafi.
The Garden Grove Unified School District is opening four new Family Resource Centers that will serve as hubs to connect families and students with food, health care, housing, mental health counseling, immigration counseling, victim assistance and other vital services.
In August 2017, the district opened its first Family Resource Center, the Lloyd M. Stone Family Resource Center, on the campus of Clinton-Mendenhall Elementary School.
District officials say the addition of four new centers — they’ll be located at Brookhurst Elementary School, Bryant Arts Academy, Fitz Intermediate Computer Science Academy and Irvine Intermediate School — will significantly increase the level of assistance and care available to local families.
“For the last five years, our Family Resource Center staff have engaged in meaningful, life-changing work to connect families to the help they need most,” said school board trustee Teri Rocco. “This expansion is a natural next step in a district our size to ensure that each and every family can easily find help when they need it.”
GGUSD Board of Education members will cut ceremonial ribbons at each of the four new centers throughout February and March.