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CHILD WELLNESS

Helping children and youth who have experienced adversity to be safe

and to thrive in stable homes and strong, supportive environments.

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Client Story

A new mother felt crippled by anxiety. She discovered community and confidence at A Family Place relief nursery.

When Neyda moved from South Texas to Oregon in 2020, she left a close‑knit family and support system she had always known. Neyda and her husband arrived hopeful, but far from familiar faces during an already uncertain time. 

Quietly, isolation took hold.

When Neyda learned she was pregnant, fear quickly replaced joy. She questioned whether she could be a good mother. Determined to “get it right,” she read everything she could and enrolled in parenting classes before her son, Uri, was even born. 

What she didn’t understand yet was that the loud voice of doubt wasn’t truth; it was anxiety.

After Uri’s birth, that fear intensified. Neyda struggled to sleep, to leave the house, to feel at ease even while watching her baby rest. To the outside world, she looked like a happy new mother, but inside she was barely surviving. Despite therapy and medication, loneliness and shame persisted. By the time Uri was eight months old, she felt worn down and disconnected, holding on only because her son needed her.

Then Neyda found LCSNW’s A Family Place in Yamhill County, Oregon.

With trembling courage, she enrolled in the Mothers & Babies group, afraid of judgment. Instead, she found a room full of mothers voicing the very thoughts she had been carrying in silence. In that space, something shifted. Neyda realized she wasn’t broken. And she wasn’t alone.

Through A Family Place, Neyda found more than education, she found community. Parent educators brought warmth, compassion, and lived experience. They listened without judgment and modeled what healing and growth can look like. Neyda learned a powerful truth: Parenting isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. With practical tools and steady support, her confidence grew, her bond with Uri deepened, and her sense of self returned.

Today, Neyda feels grounded and capable, as a mother and a person. Her story is one of many made possible at A Family Place, where families are seen, supported, and strengthened.

Relief Nurseries (Yamhill County, Klamath Falls) 

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169

CHILDREN
SERVED

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142

FAMILIES
SERVED

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VOLUNTEERS

17

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315

HEALTHY FAMILIES HOME VISITS

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Staff Profile

Keith Serrine

Keith came to LCSNW to do more than run a program; he came with a vision to respond to a significant community need. Since joining the Klamath Falls team in 2021, Keith has worked to address the lack of a dedicated youth substance use treatment program in Klamath County.

Drawing on more than 14 years of experience as a drug and alcohol counselor, he helped launch Klamath Project Youth Empowerment (KPYE) in 2022. KPYE is a former youth skills‑building initiative that Keith has helped transform into a comprehensive model of prevention, education, and outpatient treatment.

KPYE primarily serves Southern Oregon youth ages 12–18. With substance use (particularly nicotine vaping) increasingly prevalent in younger children, the program recently expanded to serve kids as young as age 9. Referrals come from families, schools, providers, the legal system, and the youth themselves.

Keith envisions KPYE continuing to evolve. His goals include adding probation‑specific treatment, hiring a full‑time tobacco prevention specialist, and growing KPYE into a more peer‑driven program. He’s especially excited to expand substance‑free youth events that foster connection and encouragement. Events include KPYE’s annual Hogback Challenge hike and a nicotine prevention youth video contest where the winner will be aired at KPYE’s annual three-on-three basketball tournament.

At the heart of Keith’s work is helping young people realize they have a voice and a choice.

“It’s keeping at the forefront of my mind that maybe I can be that one person for them today.”

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86

YOUTH
SERVED
(Klamath Falls)

Intern Profile

Janell Jones

Janell was eager to learn how to keep vulnerable families together in Southwest Idaho. LCSNW’s Safe Families for Children program, which enlists volunteers and churches as key partners, was just the ticket.

Janell, a busy mom of four teenagers, carried a full course load and internship while pursuing her Master’s in Social Work at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho.

Safe Families for Children helps parents in crisis find temporary care for their kids while they stabilize their lives. 

“A recent example was a homeless family living in their car,” Janell said. “Homelessness is illegal in Idaho, so if police had intervened, the parents could have been separated from the baby.”

Janell said this was an especially good news story because the child was placed in home care, while the parents found a family shelter where they were eventually reunited. Both parents needed jobs; Janell helped with resumes and connections to resources that resulted in employment. Her previous experience working with at-risk youth helped her in this role.

 

Janell completed her LCSNW internship in June 2026 and looks forward to working with adults and families in her future social work career when she graduates in 2027.

Safe Families for Children
(Boise and Yamhill County)

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478

CHILDREN AND ADULTS SERVED

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200

VOLUNTEERS

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SAFE BED NIGHTS

1,234

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By the Numbers

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661

WISe - Wrap Around with Intensive Services Clients 

(Tri-Cities, Greater Puget Sound, Spokane)

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100

Youth Mental Health

Crisis Stabilization Clients

(Tri-Cities, Spokane)

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88

Unaccompanied
Refugee Minors

(Greater Puget Sound, Spokane)

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46

Foster Families for Refugee Minors

(Greater Puget Sound, Spokane)

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ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES

Lutheran Community Services Northwest
1944 Pacific Ave., Ste. 206
Tacoma, WA 98402
206-901-1685 Office
206-244-7547 Fax

DONATION INFORMATION

LCSNW Donations
PO Box 94492
Seattle, WA 98124-6792

Federal Tax ID 93-0386860

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