Upcoming Events for the Week of July 24th

July 24, 2023 LA Best Babies Network Los Angeles County, Upcoming Events

Here is a roundup of this week’s conferences, webinars, and trainings for home visitors and others who work with pregnant people and families with little ones. Also included: events around L.A. County that you can share with the families you serve. Want to look further into the future? See the comprehensive lists we update weekly for:

Do you have something for us to include? Email snish@labestbabies.org. And stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube!

July is:

Ongoing Opportunities

Help Me Grow LA is Hiring Family Partners
If you have lived experience in working with developmental services or a background in child development, and enjoy helping others, this could be the perfect job for you. Apply here if this opportunity fits you!

File with Free Tax Prep LA and Get Your Young Child Tax Credit
People who make less than $60,000 annually may be eligible to file for free at a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site. IRS-certified volunteers provide free, basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals. Eligible families can claim the Young Child Tax Credit, which may be worth more than $1,000, if they file before October 16. Find a nearby location.

CalFresh Benefits Market Match
Use the CalFresh Market Match program at your neighborhood farmers’ market to maximize your CalFresh rewards. When you use your EBT card at a farmers’ market to receive CalFresh benefits worth $15, you will also receive $15.

Get Child Care Financial Assistance
The Child Care Resource Center helps families find and apply for child care assistance. Apply here (or here in Spanish). Learn more at CCRCCA.org or call 1-866-67-4KIDS. See CCRC’s flyer for parents in English and Spanish.

Metrolink’s New Low-Income Fare Discount Program
Metrolink’s new low-income fare discount program offers a 50% discount on ANY Metrolink ticket or pass for riders with a valid California Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. Learn more here.

Help Paying for DWP Energy and Water Bills
There’s up to $5,000 in tax-free utility bill assistance available through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) per eligible households. There is no impact on other benefits or public charge determinations. Learn how to apply at Help Is On the Way (ladwp.com). Non-DWP customers can use this search feature to contact a local LIHEAP agency for more information.

Consumer Relief for Natural Gas Bills
Various resources are available to assist income-qualified customers with high gas bills. Learn more here.
Presented by SoCalGas

CSU Dominguez Hills Study: Seeking Participants Who are Expecting Their First Child
Are you currently pregnant for the first time? You are invited to participate in a new research study at CSU Dominguez Hills focused on daily emotions and experience during pregnancy. You can earn up to $150 for participation in this study. For more information, contact perch@csudh.edu or call (323) 379-9118.
Study conducted by the CSU Dominguez Hills Department of Psychology

UCLA Breastfeeding Study: Seeking Interview Participants
Get a $75 gift card for doing a 45- to 60-minute phone/zoom interview about breastfeeding. Must be pregnant or have recently given birth and identify as Asian American, Black or African American, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. Select a time to do the interview here. Contact ajscheitler@ucla.edu if you have questions.
Study conducted by UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

MotherToBaby Study: Seeking Participants
MotherToBaby is currently enrolling pregnant women in an observational study to explore how asthma and its treatment affect pregnancy. All studies are conducted through phone interviews — no changes to your normal routine or travel required.
Study conducted by MotherToBaby

CalKIDS Program Gives Money to Families to Save for College
Low-income families with public school students in grades 1-12 can now open college savings accounts, and California will contribute seed investments of up to $1,500 for each child. All California families with newborns (born on or after July 1, 2022) can also open these accounts and receive up to $100 from the state. Read more about eligibility, and see this FAQ page. To see these pages in another language click “Language” on the right side.

Pregnant? Sign up for LAist’s Pregnancy Texting Service
Get answers to your questions about pregnancy, birth and parenting. Text “heybb” to 73224 to sign up.

Food Giveaways
See our list of events across L.A. County.

Low-Income Fare is Easy (LIFE) Program
This program is open to low-income individuals who live in Los Angeles County. LIFE offers discounts on weekly and monthly transit passes on Metro and any LIFE participating transit agencies.
Presented by Metro

Free or Low-Cost Internet for Students
Visit GetConnectedLosAngeles.lacity.org or call 3-1-1 to learn about available options.
Presented by the City of L.A.

Golden Bear Pass
CalWORKs families can receive a complimentary 2023 Golden Bear Pass, which grants free entry at 200+ state parks and beaches. Learn more and apply here (or in Spanish here). Questions? Contact the California Dept. of Social Services at (916) 651-0515 or calworksoutreach@dss.ca.gov.

Opportunity LA Offers Free Savings Accounts for Children
The City and County of Los Angeles, along with LAUSD, are working together to provide all LAUSD first-graders with a FREE Child Saving Account (CSA) to help save for college — regardless of the student or parent’s income, background or immigration status. All eligible students will receive an initial $50 deposit. Additional deposits can be made by students and families. To learn more about the program, visit OpportunityLA.com or watch videos in English and Spanish here.
Presented by the City and County of L.A., in partnership with LAUSD and Citibank

WIC Fruits and Vegetables Benefit Increase
Through September 30
WIC families can get extra money to buy fruits and vegetables at WIC-approved stores and farmers’ markets. Use this tool to find your nearest farmers’ market that accepts WIC, and learn more about the benefit here.

Teen Parent Prosper Program
Pregnant or parenting teens living in the City of Los Angeles are eligible for this 800-hour paid internship program. The opportunity is limited to the first 40 eligible applicants. Apply here or contact Claudia Castillo at (213) 808-8652 or Claudia.Castillo@lacity.org for more information.
Presented by the City of Los Angeles’ Community Investment for Families Department and others

It’s Park Time at LA County Parks With Fun Summer Activities
Visit LA County Parks this Summer! Register for special seasonal events, recreation classes, aquatics, youth and adult sports, and nature center programs! Check out their free “recreation for all” special interest classes, activities, and workshops for all ages here.
Presented by the L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation

Take Action for Mental Health: Community Events
The Take Action Initiative aims to bring LA communities together around mental health, and to empower you and those around you to find support.
Presented by Take Action LA

Youth at Work
Are you between 14 – 24 looking for a job? You can earn money while learning valuable life and work skills. This program provides an array of services that offer access to paid work-based learning, work readiness, personal enrichment training, academic and career development, and advanced career services. Apply here.
Presented by Youth@Work

California State Digital Equity Plan: Public Survey
The state of California is asking residents to take the Digital Equity Online Survey to share their experience and barriers to using the internet. The survey is accessible in 14 different languages and should be completed by one individual per household.

Facility Fee Waivers for Child Care Providers for Infant & Toddler Spaces (Spanish)
The L.A. County Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education (OAECE), in partnership with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, is offering facility fee waivers for renovation or construction projects for child care facilities that need plan reviews and/or permits.
Presented by OAECE and others

Request FREE COVID-19 Home Antigen Tests to Distribute in the Community You Serve
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) is distributing FREE home antigen COVID-19 test kits to community agencies within high-need communities to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. If your agency is interested in distributing these in the community, please submit your request online using this link.

Podcast: DMH UCLA Public Mental Health Partnership
Lots of episodes on interesting and useful topics for home visitors – available on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify. In partnership with the L.A. County Department of Mental Health, the Public Mental Health Partnership at UCLA “aims to realize a vision for excellence in care for vulnerable populations that incorporates typically marginalized perspectives and builds capacity to foster health equity.” Visit pmhp.ucla.edu to learn more.

Free COVID-19 Vaccines
Safe, effective and free – COVID-19 vaccines are widely available (even for babies who are at least 6 months old), regardless of health insurance and immigration status. There are hundreds of vaccination sites across L.A. County, and many are open late and on weekends with no appointment required. Visit VaccinateLACounty.com to find a location near you. See the CDC’s page on COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens.
Presented by Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

Test to Treat COVID-19 Program
Get free same-day testing and free antiviral medication across LA County sites. Click here, call 211, or text 844-833-1334 to find a free county testing location.
Presented by Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

Join the Antelope Valley Birth Work Worker Pipeline!
Complete the brief interest form to be contacted with available workforce development and opportunities.
Presented by Black Infants and Families Los Angeles

Take a Lactation Professionals Survey and Win a Gift Card
This survey is intended to capture gaps in education, and barriers to becoming a lactation professional. By completing this survey, every tenth person up to a total of 10 people will receive a $5 Starbucks gift card. This survey will take about 10 minutes to complete. The deadline is June 15.
Presented by Breastfeed LA

CalWORKS Home Visiting Program Offers Support to Parents
CalWORKs parents who are pregnant or parenting a three-year old or younger child, can receive FREE home-based support to help keep their family healthy through various programs. Pregnant parents can also receive help through the Family Nurses Program. To learn more and sign up please call 800-427-8700

UCLA Study Focus Groups
Participate in focus groups and receive incentives by giving your feedback on the new UCLA wellness app. They are recruiting high school students and parents of high school students. To learn more about the study, contact Christine Lee at 714-822-0649 or at kungeunlee@mednet.ucla.edu.

Monday, July 24

Virtual Training: Promoting Placement Stability: Utilizing the Child and Family Team Process
July 24, 9:00am – 12:00pm
To register for this training, you must create an account with eventsHUB.
Presented by the L.A. County Department of Mental Health

Tuesday, July 25

Virtual Training: Moral Distress in the Daily Practice of Case Management
July 25, 9:00am – 12:00pm
Presented by DMH + UCLA Wellbeing for LA Learning Center

Virtual Training: Introducing the National Early Care and Education Workforce Center
July 25, 9:00am
Presented by Child Trends

Virtual Training: Introduction to Motivational Interviewing
July 25, 10:00am – 12:30pm
Presented by CalTrin

Wednesday, July 26

The 2023 Motown Experience: Birth & Breastfeeding Conference
July 26 – 28, TBA: Hollywood Casino Hotel at Greektown, 555 East Lafayette St., Detroit, MI 48226
Presented by Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association

Virtual Workshop: Organizational Health Literacy: How to Implement Changes in Community-based Organizations
July 26, 9:00am
Part of the Literacy Skill Building Workshop Series
Presented by Health Literacy Solutions Center at the Institute for Healthcare Advancement

Virtual Training: “How About Dad”: Father Engagement Basics
July 26, 9:00am – 11:00am
Presented by CalTrin

Virtual Training: Introduction to the Infancy, Childhood, and Relationship Enrichment Initial Assessment
July 26, 9:00am – 4:00pm
To register for this training, you must create an account with eventsHUB.
Presented by the L.A. County Department of Mental Health

Webinar: Monthly Coordinated Entry System Policy Council Meeting
July 26, 9:30am
Presented by Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority

Webinar: Talking About Marijuana With Families and Staff
July 26, 10:00am
Presented by National Center on Health, Behavioral Health and Safety

Webinar: Diversity and Equity in Clinical Supervision
July 26, 11:00am
Presented by ZERO TO THREE

Webinar: A Deep Dive into FRAC’s Summer Nutrition Report
July 26, 12:00pm
Presented by Food Research & Action Center

Virtual event: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Unpacking the Layers
July 26, 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Presented by UCLA/VA Veteran Family Wellbeing Center (VFWC)

Webinar: Train-the-Trainer for Medicaid and CHIP Renewals: Outreach and Education for the ECE Community
July 26, 12:00pm
Presented by Office of Head Start

Webinar: You Know WIC…but do you know WIC PLUS?
July 26, 12:00pm
Presented by PHFE WIC and L.A. Care

Community Gathering Across South Los Angeles
July 26, 6:00pm – 8:00pm: Wellnest, 3787 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90007
Presented by Community Coalition

Thursday, July 27

Webinar: Promoviendo la Salud de los Inmigrantes: Renovaciones de Medi-Cal e el impacto de Carga Pública en el Acceso a los Beneficios Públicos
July 27, 2:00pm
Presented by Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP)

Friday, July 28

Hybrid Event: Inclusion and Belong: Powerful Discussions to Engage Our Community
July 28, 9:00am – 2:00pm: Hiram Johnson High School, 6879 14^th Ave., Sacramento, CA 95820
Presented by UC Davis Health

Saturday, July 29

Postpartum Tales: Healing Through Storytelling for NICU Parents
July 29, 9:00am – 3:00pm
A $25 Amazon gift card will be given to those who complete the workshop and a feedback survey.
Presented by Maternal Mental Health NOW

Grill & Give: School Supplies Drive
July 29, 1:00pm – 5:00pm: Johnny Carson Park, 400 Bob Hope Dr., Burbank, CA 91505
Presented by Burbank Young Professionals

Sunday, July 30

Back-to-School Backpack Giveaway
July 30, 4:00pm – 7:00pm: Olivo at Mission Hills; 10310 Sepulveda Blvd., Mission Hills, CA 91345
Presented by Olivo at Mission Hills