A Message from the CEO:
The concept I associate most with Spring – even late Spring, is, of course, change. In California, we really don’t experience the significant changes in weather other regions enjoy. However, subtle changes are taking place everywhere around us, and even small changes can bring about huge results. Nowhere is this more prevalent than at Trinity Youth Services.
This past month, Trinity team members from every location and every level of the organization collaborated on a new four-year strategic plan that will guide the agency through some very significant changes. I believe the strategic planning process is always a good exercise. It provides the agency with an opportunity to review and reconnect to our mission (what we do), our vision (what we want to be at our best) and our values (what drives us forward, even when the burdens seem to outweigh the benefits).
The team overwhelmingly supported keeping the mission statement intact. We still believe the statement, “Helping children and families create a better future,” aptly describes what the agency does, at its core. However, our vision statement changed dramatically. In the past, the vision statement reflected a desire to be the first choice for funders and placing agencies, and yes, that is still important, because it signifies those stakeholder groups that keep us in business, financially, have enough confidence in us to invest in our success. However, the team felt it was more important to declare that the agency, at its very best, is what we provide to children and families, how we prepare them for the “better future” our mission statement describes. Our vision statement now reflects our desires:
To cultivate an environment of compassionate quality care.
To plant seeds of hope and resiliency.
To nurture the development of children and families empowered for success.
The primary values of the agency have changed very little. The driving forces of the agency continue to be stated as follows:
We value safety, well-being and permanency for children, youth, and families.
We value embracing research, best practices and proven approaches that help children and youth.
We value employees and will provide them with the knowledge, skills, and tools to be successful.
We value the ability to adapt and change to the needs of those we serve.
We value open, honest, and transparent governance and management practices.
The decision was made to add two additional statements. One that reflects the agency’s commitment to ensuring the children and families we serve receive the highest quality programs and services, without regard for race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ability or any other factor, and, as an agency, we will strive to recruit, retain and provide opportunity for promotion to staff that reflect, represent and inspire those we serve.
We value Diversity, Inclusion and Equity in all we do.
The second additional statement declares Trinity’s gratitude for the numerous partnerships that assist us and enable us to fulfill our mission. This includes the board of directors, staff, volunteers, vendors, placing agencies, governing and monitoring entities, donors, and community supporters.
We value the relationships with all stakeholder groups that enable us to do this good work.
I believe the strategic planning team’s changes help to ensure the mission, vision and value statements of Trinity Youth Services accurately represent the intentionality with which we should all strive to approach work that is truly meaningful. Reading these words inspires me and makes me proud to be associated with the agency and with each and every one of our staff.
Caterpillars are always inching their way toward becoming their best and most beautiful selves. At Trinity Youth Services, we should do no less. Wishing everyone a happy May and a wonderful springtime season.
View the full 2022-2026 Strategic Plan published here.
Cher Ofstedahl, CEO
Cher leads our agency which serves over 200 children and families daily through residential therapeutic services, mental health programs, foster care and adoption services. Cher advocates for children in need after experiencing her own childhood trauma. Her firsthand experience gives her unique insight into our mission to help children and families create a better future. Cher has been with Trinity Youth Services for over 20 years In 2019, Cher completed her master’s degree in ethical leadership from Claremont Lincoln University. Cher currently serves on the Human Relations Committee for the City of Claremont to help oversee their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, serves on the Policy and Practice Commission for the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), is on the Juvenile Justice Steering Committee for the California Alliance for Children & Families, is a Design Thinking Department Advisor at University of California, Riverside and serves on the board for the Association of Community Human Service Agencies (ACHSA). In 2018, she was recognized by Senator Anthony Portantino as Outstanding Nonprofit Executive Director and, in 2022, Cher was named Woman of Distinction by Assemblymember Chris Holden.
As part of an annual recognition of Women’s History Month in the State Capitol, Assemblymember Chris Holden announces Cher Ofstedahl as Claremont’s 2022 Woman of Distinction.
The 41st Assembly District’s Women of Distinction from throughout the district include Juanita West-Tillman (Altadena), Cher Ofstedahl (Claremont), Chief Colleen Flores (La Verne), Maritza Flores-Travanti (Monrovia), Elizabeth McSwain, (Rancho Cucamonga), Marilyn Sparks (San Dimas), Bertha Aguirre (Sierra Madre), Cathy Billings (South Pasadena) and Kim Anthony (Upland). Over 150 nominations were sent to Assemblymember Holden for the honor.
“The 2022 Women of Distinction are dedicated leaders who improve the lives for thousands of individuals and families in the 41st Assembly District and beyond,” said Holden. “They demonstrate the power of giving to others and community empowerment, I am honored to be amongst a high caliber of professionals.”
Cher Ofstedahl leads as CEO of Trinity Youth Services, an agency which serves over 200 children and families daily through residential therapeutic services, mental health programs, foster care and adoption services. She is also CEO of the Children’s Foundation of America, a Claremont-based charity, which provides thousands of children in foster care, shelters, crisis centers, underserved school districts and more with care packages, scholarships, and grants.
Cher advocates for children in need after experiencing her own childhood trauma. Her firsthand experience gives her unique insight into a mission to help children and families create a better future. Cher has worked in foster care for over 20 years and prior to that, she worked in the music industry and as a professional actress. In her spare time, Cher performs stand-up comedy professionally.
Among her many academic degrees and certificates, Cher holds a BA in organizational management from Arizona State University and post-graduate certifications from Cornell University and Harvard Graduate School of Education. In 2019, Cher completed her master’s degree in ethical leadership from Claremont Lincoln University. She is also a member of the first graduating cohort in a National Human Services Assembly (NHSA) nonprofit executive leadership program; a collaboration with Arizona State University, Indiana University and the Lilly School of Philanthropy.
Cher has served on a variety of nonprofit boards and currently serves on the Human Relations Committee for the City of Claremont to help oversee their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, serves on the Policy and Practice Commission for the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), is on the Juvenile Justice Steering Committee for the California Alliance for Children & Families, and is a Design Thinking Department Advisor at University of California, Riverside.
The office of California Assemblymember, Chris Holden, will present the honor of Woman of Distinction during the Children’s Foundation of America’s first annual Chari-Tea fundraiser held on Saturday, May 21. The event will raise funds and awareness for youth in foster care during National Foster Care Month. The community, women business leaders, and change makers are invited to this special event sponsored by Claremont Lincoln University.
At the event, singer/songwriter Katie Ferrara will perform a set, floral arrangements will be provided by Delia Haro Floral, a tea and coffee cart sponsored by Summit Tea and Pour Vida, as well as finger sandwiches and baked goods from many favorite local bakeries. Click here for more information on the Chari-Tea event.
Visit www.TrinityYS.org to learn more about Trinity Youth Services and visit www.ChildrensFoundationOfAmerica.org to learn more about the Children’s Foundation of America.
Dear Supporters,
The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on many people’s mental health, including children. The Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act (S.2689) would ensure children in foster care receive the mental health coverage they need.
The Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018 (FFPSA) created a federal category of residential settings called qualified residential treatment programs (QRTPs). These programs were designed to provide care for children in foster care with assessed emotional or behavioral needs in a residential setting. Trinity’s residential programs fall into this category.
The healthcare needs of children in foster care are covered by Medicaid. Today, however, QRTPs may not receive Medicaid financing because of an exclusion in the law, set to go into effect on October 1, 2021. The Institutions for Mental Disease (IMD) exclusion, is a law that prohibits Medicaid payments to residential facilities with more than 16 beds that primarily provide care for people with mental health conditions.
The Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act of 2021 would provide a narrow exemption from the IMD exclusion to ensure children in foster care receiving care in QRTPs can continue to receive care provided in these settings without losing their federal Medicaid coverage.
Please join me in urging our senators to support Medicaid access for children in foster care. This directly affects the children at Trinity Youth Services. Your voice matters in advocating for our children to receive the care they require.
Take Action
Cher Ofstedahl
Chief Executive Officer
The purpose of International Women’s Day (March 8) is to actively call for a gender equal world. Trinity Youth Services (TYS) would like to take the time to honor some amazing achievements in Women’s history while also highlighting some of the inspiring and dedicated women in leadership that TYS is so blessed to have.
According to the Women’s Bureau, from 1950 to 2010 there was roughly a 56% increase of women participating in the workforce. During that time, several key moments in the Women’s Civil Rights movement occurred. In 1955, Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her seat and in 1963 President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act. Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964, which was intended to ban all employment discrimination and in 1966 Betty Friedan founded the National Organization for Woman (NOW). Title IX of the Education Amendments was signed into law in 1972 and in 1981 Sandra Day O’Connor was sworn in to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2016, Hillary Clinton became the first woman to receive a presidential nomination from a major political party and in 2021 Kamala Harris became the first woman and first person of color to be elected Vice President of the United States.
The 20th century brought with it a “rapid rise in women’s labor force participation,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics but despite this information, PayScale reported, “In 2020, women earn[ed] $0.81 for every dollar earned by an equivalent man. This figure is representative of the uncontrolled – or ‘raw’- gender pay gap, which looks at the median salary for all men and women regardless of job type or worker seniority.”
TYS takes the pay gap between women and men very seriously, by conducting periodic wage analysis to ensure there are no disparities based on gender. “Being the first female CEO in Trinity’s 55-year history,” says Cher Ofstedahl, “I have a critical awareness of the particular challenges women have historically faced in the workplace and a keen desire to ensure all staff are treated equitably, empowered with the knowledge, skills and tools to be successful in their positions and provided with opportunities to fulfill their professional goals.”
Some of the amazing leadership that TYS is so grateful to have, includes not only Chief Executive Officer, Cher Ofstedahl, who’s leadership has carried the company through an incredibly challenging year, but a number of other worthy women in key leadership positions: Administrative Officer Inger Walker, Financial Controller Linh Trieu, Director of Foster Care and Adoptions Jackie Jakob, Director of Development Jenelle Phillips, Intake and Rancho Cucamonga Foster Care Director Laura Kassem, Monterey Park Foster Care Director Roomina Islam, Apple Valley Residential Campus Director Elizabeth Tamoush, and Yucaipa Residential Campus Director Teresa Valles. TYS would also like to highlight board members Judith Jarvis and Valerie Martinez for adding strong women’s voices to the governance of the agency.
Celebrating women, championing equality, building a workplace that is inclusive, increasing visibility and forging women empowerment are required to create a world with gender parity. TYS applauds all the outstanding women of the agency and of the world for their resilience.
Ways You Can Help
Join our Agency: TYS is a premier provider of residential treatment programs, mental health services, foster care and adoption agency to children and families in Southern California. We seek team members with a genuine commitment to the empowerment of at-risk children and their families, and a willingness to work in a demanding, fast-paced environment, which requires dedication and a desire to provide positive role models for the children in care. Click here to apply.
Donate: Consider donating to organizations like the Children’s Foundation of America, who help provide resources of the highest quality to children in foster care. Your donation provides scholarships and other essential needs to help create positive outcomes for foster youth.
Volunteer: Contribute your time by volunteering to help advocate and raise awareness. Use social media to share articles like this one or sign up here to participate in a volunteer project.
Foster or Adopt: TYS’s mission is to help children and families create a better future. You can change the trajectory of a child’s life by becoming a resource parent and providing the love and support children need to be successful in life. Contact TYS representative, Carlos Lopez at clopez@trinityys.org or 888-346-9645 to learn more about adopting or becoming a foster parent.
Isabel Millward-Pena, Communications Specialist
Isabel contributes content for our social media, blog, newsletters and promotional materials. She recently earned a bachelor’s degree in English from California State University San Bernardino and is currently working on her master’s degree. Isabel began working at Trinity as an intern, was hired as clerical, and was then promoted to communications in our development department. Prior to her work at Trinity, she was a substitute instructional aid and a supervisor at Starbucks. She has also volunteered as an aid at local elementary schools and notably achieved “Partner of the Quarter” at Starbucks in 2017. Isabel is an active member of Trinity’s Diversity, Inclusion, Value and Equity (DIVE) team and volunteers her time at the Children’s Foundation of America.
Trinity Youth Services cares for children 24/7/365. As such, we are paying close attention to the fluid situation surrounding the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak and taking steps to be as agile and proactive as possible. The safety of children and staff is our highest priority and every precaution is being taken. I have reached out to our vendors to ensure supplies and food deliveries will occur on schedule and that essential resources are prioritized to our youth.
We are facing unique challenges as direct service providers for the most vulnerable of children—foster youth placed in the homes of resource families or living on Short Term Residential Program (STRTP) campuses. School closures and the subsequent lack of immediate childcare and eldercare options for resource families who work and for residential staff who have young children or adult relatives they care for at home, have created an increased burden on those who need to work but cannot and those who can work and are covering additional shifts.
We are committed to providing uninterrupted programs and services. At this time, we are asking for your support to assist us with the unexpected operating expenses we are incurring. If you are able to help with a contribution of any size, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be mailed to PO Box 1210, Claremont, CA 91711 or made immediately by accessing the Children’s Foundation of America website at www.childrensfoundationofamerica.org. Please designate “Trinity Youth Services (unrestricted)” where prompted.
Thank you for remembering the children in the midst of this unprecedented, global concern. Your kindness and thoughtfulness will not be forgotten.
Cher Ofstedahl
Chief Executive Officer
Trinity Youth Services is proud to announce Cher Ofstedahl as its new Chief Executive Officer, the first woman to ever hold the position at the agency since its inception in 1966. An accomplished music industry veteran, professional actress and celebrated comedienne, Cher has been instrumental in creating high-impact programs and services that empower children and families for 22 years.
Cher became a passionate advocate for children and decided to help children break the cycle of abuse after experiencing a traumatic childhood herself. The neglect and abuse she experienced gave her a compassionate heart towards children in crisis, and ultimately paved the way for the tremendous impact she continues to make within the agency. Cher has held several different positions at Trinity Youth Services including marketing, human resources and executive management.
An inspiring, award-winning change agent at Trinity and within her community, Cher holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Ashford University and post-graduate certifications from Cornell University and Harvard Graduate School of Education.
She also possesses a master’s degree in ethical leadership from Claremont Lincoln University, and is a member of the first graduating cohort in a National Human Services Assembly (NHSA) nonprofit executive leadership program.
Deeply committed to helping children and families improve their quality of life, Cher serves on the board of directors at the dA Center for the Arts, is on the membership committee for the California Alliance for Children and Families, is past chair of the Inland Empire Alliance for Children and Families and director of the Children’s Foundation of America. Her many accolades include being a recipient of Senator Anthony Portantino’s Women in Business award in 2019.
Driven by Trinity’s mission to create a better future for children and families, Cher is poised to maintain the integrity of the agency and is determined to find loving homes for children in crisis throughout Southern California.
