Maria Hartman speaks with George Alger about Ventura County Children & Family Services.
Hartman works directly with resource families (such as relatives or community caregivers) who provide temporary or long-term care for children ages newborn to 18. The department prioritizes placing children with familiar relatives whenever possible to ease the transition.
Supporting Children in Care: Because removal from birth parents causes trauma, loneliness, and behavioral challenges, the department focuses on helping children feel safe, loved, and supported. Beyond placement, they connect families with wraparound therapy, tutoring, and funding for extracurricular activities like sports and swim lessons to maintain a sense of normalcy.
Annual Holiday Party & Toy Drive: Each year, the department partners with local nonprofits to host a large Christmas party featuring food, a DJ for dancing, gift baskets, and photos with Santa and elves.
Donation Guidelines:
- What to Give: Unwrapped toys (such as trucks, Barbies, Legos, and LeapFrog learning toys) for younger children, and gift cards (for stores like Target or makeup retailers) for teenagers. Leaving items unwrapped helps staff sort them by age group before wrapping them.
- Where to Donate: Community members can coordinate donations through James Storehouse in Newbury Park.
- Any toys received after December 5th are distributed throughout the remainder of the holiday season or stored for the following year.
- Lasting Impact: Events like the holiday party give children a break from court dates and social worker visits, creating positive memories that are documented in their personal “life books,” which are scrapbooks that stay with them regardless of where they live in the future.
TV broadcast week beginning 11/08/26
Producer: George Alger
Sponsor: NONPROFIT FIRE, Google Ad Grants Community Building NonProfitFire.org
Sponsor: SKYWORKS MARKETING, Performance Advertising SkyworksMarketing.com