I’m excited to finally share about a few things we’ve been working on this past school year!
With the support of a consultant afforded to us through a foundation grant, we strived to formalize the work we do using nationally recognized language. South Central LAMP has been providing supportive services, as well parenting and English classes, family advocacy and early education to our community for over 30 years. Through the years we’ve advanced our mission using proven approaches and techniques to provide our services. As national recognition has elevated the subject of trauma, and its influence on emotional and mental health, brain development, physical health and other areas of our lives, it’s clear that it also impacts how we parent.
South Central LAMP has been addressing trauma through our programs for years, though this important work hasn’t always been widely recognized. That’s why, as mentioned earlier, we partnered with a consultant to evaluate our services and help bring this impact to light. Together, we developed clear, compelling narratives that speak to funders, donors, staff, and our community—highlighting how our holistic approach plays a vital role in preventing child abuse and building strong, resilient families for the long term.
I’ve always believed our holistic approach to our programs serves as a preventative measure. At South Central LAMP, our programs—including family advocacy, parenting, ESL, and early education—work together as a powerful form of early intervention. These services significantly reduce the risk of families entering the child welfare system, experiencing homelessness, or facing food insecurity. We’ve seen this impact firsthand, but we knew we needed to prove it using nationally recognized, evidence-based methods.
Our first step was to demonstrate that our work aligns with a well-established model. We chose the Strengthening Families Framework—a research-informed approach that focuses on enhancing family strengths, supporting child development, and preventing abuse and neglect. Grounded in five key protective factors, the framework guides communities, programs, and families to work together. With this as our foundation, we embarked on a yearlong journey to test our hypothesis and validate the effectiveness of our approach.
Now that we know that South Central LAMP’s approach aligns with the Strengthening Families and Protective Factors approach, we are moving towards adding other tools to support our work. In the coming year, we will be focused on becoming a Trauma Informed Care agency.
While we have been providing programs recognizing trauma as part of our culturally responsive approach, becoming a trauma-informed agency means integrating a trauma-informed perspective across all aspects of the organization. Ensuring all services and support are delivered with an understanding of trauma’s impact and potential to re-traumatize. This involves a systemic shift in culture, policies, and practices to prioritize safety, trustworthiness, and empowerment for both those we serve and staff.
This is a step forward towards continuing to provide programs and services that really focus on those we serve. I look forward to keeping you appraised on this endeavor, and I thank you all for supporting the work we do! I hope you are proud to see that as an agency we never stay complacent. I really believe that every time we support a family in the community, we support our community as a whole, but also your community because we are all interconnected and the world is a better place when everyone is healthy and thriving.
With continued gratitude,
Diana Z. Pinto
Executive Director