Area Leaders Make ‘Time for Families’

City, county and social service leaders came together Friday at the site of a future city day-care center to trumpet the launch of “Time for Families,” a new interagency program intended to promote and strengthen the family bond.

County Supervisor Frank Schillo and City Councilwoman Judy Lazar, along with the president of the nonprofit insurance agents’ group Million Dollar Roundtable, touted the fledgling program as a way to continue working toward safe streets, well-adjusted children and strong families in Thousand Oaks.

“We’re not interested in defining families,” Schillo said. “Whatever you think a family is, we’re going to help you make that family better.”

But just how can a group achieve such a lofty goal as making families stronger? It’s simple, according to the other participants in “Time for Families,” which include Many Mansions, the Area Housing Authority, Interface and The Times: by addressing the issues most young families face.

The need for child care. Affordable housing. Reliable transportation. And advice--from experts and those who have been there.

“You can’t take for granted that good families will happen,” Lazar said. “We need to provide help and assistance to make sure.”

To that end, the coalition of government, private and public agencies and organizations has planned four events and programs for the first quarter of 1998 to get the “Time for Families” off the ground.

* In January, the program hopes to begin its efforts by providing the children in Thousand Oaks housing projects with transportation to after-school activities. Parents have complained that their children would love to participate in more clubs and sports--if only they could get a ride.

* On Feb. 7, the Conejo Substance Abuse Prevention Authority will sponsor its annual Parenting Faire at Cal Lutheran University, and “Time for Families” is hoping to increase participation beyond the 300 who did so last year.

* On Feb. 11, housing groups will hold an Affordable Housing Summit at Cal Lutheran to discuss ways to bridge the gap between the average incomes of young families and the area’s high rents and home prices.

* And starting in March, the group hopes to launch a phone-in parenting show on cable television on which experts will answer questions from Thousand Oaks residents.

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If successful, “Time for Families” will be expanded to all of Ventura County--and, according to President Gene L. Mahn of Million Dollar Roundtable, beyond. The organization has 19,000 members in 54 countries.

When a former Million Dollar Roundtable president ran into Thousand Oaks City Manager Grant Brimhall recently in Arizona, he mentioned that Mahn, a Thousand Oaks resident, would soon assume the top post. When he mentioned that the group was looking to revive and expand a former family assistance program, Brimhall suggested Thousand Oaks as a launching ground, Mahn said.

“What we want to do is use this program in Thousand Oaks as a pilot to try around the world,” Mahn said, adding that his organization got its name because it donates $1 million to various causes every year. “We have a lot of resources.”

Eileen MacEnery-Reimers, who raised two daughters although she didn’t have a permanent home in the Conejo Valley for the past eight years before finally getting public housing, said the program is a step forward.

“I think the program is a great idea, but people need to get involved,” she said. “The real problem is that everyone thinks the government is going to take care of everything.”