Mary's Path

History and Overview: Mary’s Path was founded in 1985 to provide a safe home for pregnant and parenting teens who lacked family support. Funds were raised to acquire a house, and Mary’s Path opened in 1994 to six pregnant teens who were supported with case management. In 1998, two new homes were built at its current location, licensed for 18 teens and 12 babies at any given time. Today, Mary’s Path is nationally accredited and licensed as a Short Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP) facility by the State of California. Licensed for 16 teens and 12 babies on any given day, Mary’s Path provides safe housing, trauma-informed and healing-centered mental health therapy, and other supportive services to up to 40 teen moms each year from the foster system. More than 90% are survivors of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC). Programs and Services: All programs and services are trauma- and evidence-informed, delivered in a supportive and nurturing environment. Mary’s Path also ensures that all programs and services are healing centered, and culturally respectful of the diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds of each of its teen moms. In addition to safe housing, services include trauma-informed therapy; parenting skills coaching and child care; life skills mentoring; academic support/job readiness; access to medical/dental care; and after-care services. Mary’s Path also supports the babies of teens. While residing at Mary’s Path, all teen moms are assisted with ensuring regular medical check-ups for their babies, and are provided on-site high quality, developmentally appropriate child care while they are in school or working part time. Staff may also assist with more difficult activities, such as initiating adoption processes or taking steps toward reunification for those who may have been separated from their babies. Public contracts support roughly 80% of Mary’s Path’s operations, with the balance supported by charitable grants and individual donations.