New Morning Youth & Family Services was founded in 1970 and is the oldest non-profit agency dedicated to serving youth in El Dorado County. To effectively respond to the needs of our community's youth, New Morning operates the only Emergency Children's Shelter for runaway, homeless and in-crisis youth in El Dorado County and is one of the largest providers of psychotherapy for school-age children. In addition, New Morning manages a Latino Outreach program to serve the marginalized Latino community, manages a foster youth program to support foster youth who are preparing to become independent, offers substance use treatment services to children and youth, and provides mental health services to victims of crimes.
New Morning services prevent, intervene in, and treat children who are being abused, suffering from depression, experiencing severe family conflict, engaging in delinquent behavior, or abusing substances, which can result in risks for failure in school, removal from their home, or engaging in juvenile justice intervention. While many would like to believe that children are safe, protected, and free from destructive influences, the facts often present a different picture. Many children are exposed to child abuse, substance abuse, violence, and other negative factors, placing them at great risk for developing problems of their own. In 2014, for example: 65% of New Morning's clients had experienced child abuse, 67% lived with parents who were substance abusers, 51% had witnessed domestic violence in the home, 28% had been abandoned by parents, and 25% had been exposed to violence in the school or community.