Resource center ready to provide support services for Laguna Beach Unified families

The Laguna Beach Unified School District plans to back students outside of the classroom by providing support services through its family resource center, located at 733 St. Ann’s Drive, across from Laguna Beach High School.

On Wednesday, Oct. 18, district officials plan to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the center, which can accommodate communal gatherings and private counseling and features an outdoor space overlooking Guyer Field and the Pacific Ocean.

“By offering parents the resources they need — whether it’s access to mental health counseling, parenting workshops or community outreach programs — we’re ensuring that our students come to school ready to learn,” Laguna Beach school board president Jan Vickers said in a statement. “When families thrive, our schools thrive, and our entire community reaps the benefits.”

District Supt. Jason Viloria packaged the availability of services together when discussing a new student well space at the high school and the districtwide family resource center on the first day of classes on Aug. 24.

LBUSD Supt. Jason Viloria stands in the center quad on the first day of school at Laguna Beach High on Aug. 24.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“Being able to have spaces like [the student well space] and the family resource center rolled out is awesome because we’re always looking for ways to be better,” Viloria said. “As a school district, we should be looking for those opportunities, and it was a natural thing for us to open a family resource center for families, and to have this space for kids, based on what we know we’re hearing from them [about] what their needs are.

“It’s nice to have a one-stop shop for folks to be able to pop in and access things. The same thing for kids. There’s always going to be a staff member here, so if they need something, they know that they can always pop in and get help. This day and age, access to what folks need is probably the most important thing. There’s so much out there that you need to have a point of contact that you can guide kids and guide families to that support.”

The district spent $489,970 on a remodel for the family resource center, district spokesperson Anakaren Ureño said. SchoolPower, a nonprofit that raises funds for Laguna Beach public schools, also helped pay for interior design and general contractor services.

“SchoolPower has been proud to partner closely with LBUSD during the creation of the family resource center and will continue to support [its] programs and services, including the parenting book club, small group workshops and direct support for families,” Sarah Durand, executive director of SchoolPower, added in a release about the grand opening event. “One day, we hope it will become as natural as calling a friend to contact the family resource center when you have a question, big or small, about navigating parenthood in Laguna Beach.”