Group Seeks Ideas for Improving Kids’ Lives

The Los Angeles County Children’s Planning Council will sponsor a community meeting today to educate local residents and service agencies about its plans to improve the lives of area children.

The council, established in 1991 to coordinate children’s services organizations, will meet from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Auditorium A, Entrance 5 at Kaiser Permanente Hospital, 5601 De Soto Ave.

Council representatives will discuss the development of a countywide strategic plan for children and solicit ideas for the development of smaller councils to involve more citizens and business people in shaping activities and services for children.

The area councils, including one to serve the greater San Fernando Valley area, would link the local community and the countywide Children’s Planning Council.

Also to be discussed at today’s meeting are recommendations of work groups established to find ways to ensure the good health, economic and social well-being, safety and survival, and work-force readiness of children in the county.

The council is made of up of representatives from nonprofit groups, county departments, schools, minority groups, cities and business groups who study the work of various agencies and make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors.

Its goal is to coordinate agencies that work with children, making sure that all the needs of the child are being met, rather than each group focusing on a different problem the child is facing.

A second meeting will take place at 3 p.m. Wednesday at People in Progress, 8140 Sunland Blvd. in Sun Valley.