About True Lasting Connections (TLC)

How it started

The Downey Unified School District created the TLC Family Resource Center to help support our most vulnerable students and their families experiencing hardship and lacking basic health/social services. It was initially funded by a State Healthy Start grant awarded in 2000. The Healthy Start initiative provided grants as seed funding to local education agencies to provide comprehensive, collaborative, school-linked health and human services to students facing the greatest challenges.

Only two elementary sites (Ward and Pace) received services when TLC opened. Strategic planning was initiated to maximize and build the necessary partnerships with school administrators and various community agencies to extend our service to more school sites and sustain a larger program. Today, services are available to the entire Downey Unified School District.

The mission of the TLC program is to create a True Lasting Connection between the community and the families of the Downey Unified School District to ensure that each student receives the physical, emotional, and intellectual support they need to succeed. All Downey Unified schools have access to referring students to TLC in a private, respectful, and effective manner. A TLC Assistant is appointed to a referred student and their family to connect them with any programs or services they may lack. Counseling, vision exams, enrollment in state health insurance programs, crisis intervention, and basic needs such as food and clothing are free of charge at TLC.

Award-winning program

The TLC Family Resource Center is often featured as a model and award-winning program, receiving numerous awards & congressional recognitions.

The Association of School Administration was the first to recognize the program’s uniqueness in June 2006 with the “Partners in Educational Excellence” Award.

Other notable awards received:

• Golden Bell Award in the collaboration category
• Superintendent’s Vision Award
• City of Downey Mayor’s Service Award
• Golden Bell Award in the wellness category

Although we are delighted with the recognition TLC has received, all these awards and spotlights don’t measure the gratitude we receive from the families we help.