sidebarlogo: Kern County Network for Children Logo

Our Mission

The mission of Kern County Network for Children is to protect and enrich the lives of children in Kern County through the commitment of all community partners by helping to build and sustain healthy families.

Our Goals

squarebullet: Strengthening families, thereby enriching the lives of our children
squarebullet: Promoting family self-sufficiency
squarebullet: Identifying the most critical children's issues county-wide, and developing strategies for addressing these issues
squarebullet: Determining gaps and overlaps in services
squarebullet: Sharing information about children's services and recommending ways to make them more effective and efficient

Meet Our Governing Board

The KCNC Governing Board is a dedicated group of County senior policy makers, representatives from private business and leaders of community based organizations that explores needed changes in county policies and develops public/private partnerships to improve the lives of Kern County children and their families.

cccccarseat062: Back-to-School Car Seat Inspection

Get Connected!

Meet & hear from others interested in the well-being of Kern’s children & families at the next General Collaborative Meeting held every 3rd Thursday of each month from 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. at University Square!

  • Join us February 18th at University Square(2000 K St.) for presentations from Bakersfield Police Department, City of Bakersfield & Department of Human Services.

  • January - June 2010 Meeting dates.

    • Welcome to the Network For Children!

    Created in 1992, the Kern County Network for Children (KCNC) harnesses the power of community action in meeting the critical needs of Kern County's children and families. KCNC takes pride in assisting local community collaboratives and family service agencies in developing integrated service delivery models to help identify and address the most critical children's issues in Kern County.

    We believe in:

    • Personal responsibility and family self-sufficiency as the cornerstones of resilient, stable communities;
    • Grassroots solutions to local problems;
    • Empowering local residents to address common concerns;
    • Locally-based, accessible services;
    • Program accountability and delivery of cost-effective services

    KCNC programs and initiatives serve many functions benefiting children and families in Kern County and are carried out through the active involvement of government leaders, nonprofit agencies, organizations, businesses and private individuals.

    Promoting Community Connections
  • General Collaborative Meetings
  • Resources & technical assistance to family service providers
  • GIS Task Force
  • Event calendar
    		• Advocating for Families & Children
  • Differential Response
  • Foster Youth Dream Center & Coffee House
  • Foster Youth Services & AB490 liaison activities
  • Directory of Local Collaboratives
  • Community resources to assist families
    		• Developing Community Leadership
  • Training opportunities
  • Leadership Development Program
  • Recipes for Community Success Handbook
  • Post your agency's training on the KCNC website

    • What's New

  • Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) offers FREE income preparation for families and individuals with low to moderate incomes. Download the VITA flyer for location and date information.
  • Download 2010-2013 Community Collaborative Accreditation Forms and 2010-2013 Community Collaborative Accreditation Application
  • 2008-09 KCNC Annual Report
  • Kern County Service Provider Resource Guide
  • Tips for Differential Service Providers: Building Rapport with Families & Home Visit Safety
  • H1N1 Flu Brochures in English and Spanish to share with staff and families
  • The KCNC Newsletter has gone electronic! Sign up today to receive it via your computer!
  • Register on-line for KCNC trainings and events

    5-Minute Agency Spotlight

    Name: Sandy Morris
    Title/Position: Crime Prevention Specialist
    Agency Name: Bakersfield Police Department
    Phone Number: 661-326-3051
    Fax Number: 661-852-2163
    Website Address: www.bakersfieldcity.us/police

    How would you describe your agency and your role at the agency?
    "The BPD does everything within its power to keep the streets of Bakersfield as safe as they can. We have a very dedicated staff of officers and support staff that work diligently 24/7, 365 days a year to accomplish this task. I have been with the department for over 22 years and am currently assigned to the Crime Prevention Detail. I provide training services to the community on Personal Safety, Neighborhood Watch, Violence in the Workplace, Senior Safety and Identity Theft. As a woman who gets paid to talk all day, I love my job.

    My passion lies with children and seniors. I am chairman of a project called 'Bakersfield's Christmas for Seniors.' With the help of community members, businesses and families, we adopt low-income, isolated or homebound seniors. The magic of the project is mixing children with the seniors. It is a winning combination."

    Is there any other personal information you would like to share?
    "I have three grown children, Michelle, Melissa and Brian. They are all grown and married. I'm very proud of them as they were raised by a single mom and they all are very successful and happy in their lives. I have two of the cutest red headed granddaughters, Emily (7) and Jaclyn (4), you have ever seen."

    Join us at the next General Collaborative Meeting for your chance to be our next KCNC 5 Minute Spotlight! Meet our previous KCNC 5 Minute Spotlights!

    Kern County Network for Children is recognized throughout the county, state, and nation by the following organizations for innovative, collaborative approaches to caring for children and families:

    United States Conference of Mayors • National Association of Counties • National League of Cities • American Association of School Administrators • International City/County Management Association • National School Boards Association • California State Association of Counties • California Department of Health Services • Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce • Junior League of Bakersfield • United Way of Kern County • Kern COG • Mexican American Opportunity Foundation • The Foundation Consortium


    print:   email: