El Nido Family Center

El Nido Family Centers is a social service non-profit agency. We provide counseling and family support services to disadvantaged communities throughout Los Angeles County.

Our Vision

Healthy families and communities that provide the resources and support for all young people to attain their full potential.

Our Mission

Empower families in low-income communities of Los Angeles County to break the cycle of poverty, child abuse, violence, academic failure, and teen pregnancy through outstanding educational, youth development, health and therapeutic services.

Our History

Believing that “a child cannot grow up twice”, El Nido was founded in 1925 by the National Council of Jewish Women to provide meals and respite care to undernourished and neglected girls.

El Nido (the Nest) was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 1954. In the 1960s, El Nido expanded to include residential shelters, and offered guidance for abused, abandoned and runaway girls. By 1979, El Nido Family Centers became formally independent and had grown to include both boys and girls. As the incidence of child abuse, school failure, youth crime and teen pregnancy increased, El Nido’s focus evolved to community-based prevention and early intervention.