Padres Unidos is a 501c3 non-profit that works to support low-income families through programs that address needs in the community, such as strengthening familial ties and how parents can support their students, the desire and need for community engagement through schools and churches, and educating and involving incarcerated youths. In the unique context of Orange County, CA, and with Padres Unidos being located in North and inland Orange County, organizations here must adapt to support the distinct needs of the community, such as educating parents often from different countries and contexts on how to best engage with schooling on behalf of their child, or integrating religious life as a venue for communication with the community. In Santa Ana specifically, the program works to address incarcerated youth rather than alienating them, with Santa Ana of North Orange County under the jurisdiction of the 4th most violent police department in California, with an average annual killing rate of 7 people per year by the police (Police Accountability Tool, 2020). Due to the impact and efficiency of programs organized by Padres Unidos, the organization has been awarded by other educational and community-based bodies such as Chapman University for helping develop an accessible curriculum for community members looking to advance their education (Baltes, 2018) and for their “outstanding collaborative work” by the Orange County Probation Department (Award for Padres Unidos, 2014).
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