Countywide : Funds for Youth Program Approved

In an effort to steer local youths away from gangs, Moorpark officials have approved funding a social services program that will include after-school tutoring for children and parenting-skills workshops for their mothers and fathers.

The Moorpark City Council voted 3 to 0 last week to spend $20,000 for the first-year operation of the program, called Project Pride.

Councilman Bernardo M. Perez abstained because he is president of the board of El Concilio del Condado de Ventura, the Oxnard-based nonprofit, social service and advocacy agency that will run the program.

Councilman Scott Montgomery also abstained, saying he supports the concept but is concerned about the appropriateness of contracting with El Concilio to operate Project Pride inasmuch as Perez sat on the committee that initially suggested the program.

In addition to the city’s funds, the Moorpark Unified School District is contributing $8,000 cash and $12,500 worth of services to Project Pride, including allowing the program to operate out of the cafeteria in the former high school building at 280 Casey Road.

El Concilio will contribute about $54,000 in grant funds to the program, bringing the total funds available for the first year to about $94,500.

The agency plans to hire a full-time coordinator by the end of August and to launch the program, expected to serve at least 60 youths and their parents, at the beginning of the school year.

The tutoring will help prevent children from becoming involved in gangs because youths tend to drift into illegal activities when they have problems at school, said Lonnie Miramontes, El Concilio’s director of community services.

The parenting-skills workshops will focus on increasing communication in the families and making parents more aware of their children’s problems.