VISION

Families Forward envisions a world where:

All children are nurtured and educated during their first five years so they enter kindergarten ready and able to learn.

Parents are prepared for their role as their child’s first and most influential teacher and encouraged to become lifelong learners.

Families work together to improve their education, the quality of their lives, and their community.

Our Community

Despite significant needs, families in the Northwest Pasadena area are often overlooked for vital services and support because the surrounding areas happen to be among the wealthier communities in Los Angeles County. The reality, however, is that families in our immediate service area are struggling.

Families Served:

• 90% live at or below the federal poverty line
• 36% of parents do not have a high school diploma
• 27% have less than a 9th grade education
• 60% are English language learners
• 38% of families live in households shared with one or more other families
• 60% have had a reduction in earned income since the pandemic began

Family Learning Center

The 10,000-square-foot Families Forward building, located on North Fair Oaks Avenue in the heart of Northwest Pasadena, was purchased in 2006. Under the mindful guidance of the Board of Directors, a team of education, planning, and design professionals then set out to completely transform the property into a facility that could support and promote learning for thousands of families over the coming decades. The state-of-the-art result – a designated Gold-Level LEED-Certified Sustainable building – includes five age-appropriate classrooms for children 0-5, an outdoor learning center, a parent education center, library, quiet room, nutrition kitchen, social kitchen, administrative offices, and more. Join us for a tour.