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Corona‑Norco Unified highlights Parent Center growth, MatchFit referrals and 1,810 summer visits
Summary
Cassandra Willis, director of student and family support services, told the school board the Parent Center handled 588 consultations last year and recorded 1,810 visits between July and August, with MatchFit referrals and targeted supports for unhoused and foster youth.
Cassandra Willis, director of student and family support services, told the Corona‑Norco Unified School District board that the district’s Parent Center has expanded its staff and services and is documenting growing demand.
"Last year we had 588 consultations," Willis said, and "so far at the Parent Center when I put this together we had 1,810 visits so far between July and August." She said 55 percent of recent visits were for enrollment support, and that the Center’s staffing has grown from about five to more than 15 people.
Willis described a three‑tier service model aligned with the district’s MTSS framework: Tier 1 family workshops and TK programs, Tier 2 community assistant outreach and family coaching, and Tier 3 intensive case management through MatchFit. "Right now over the past few weeks we've had 25 new families referred to this process," she said, describing weekly multidisciplinary reviews and follow‑up letters to referring administrators.
The Parent Center also runs targeted supports for foster youth and students experiencing housing instability, including a 'heart closet' of new clothing and partnerships with community agencies for housing and basic needs. Willis described collaborations that connect families to City Net, a settlement house program and county partners that can help secure short‑term shelter or housing vouchers.
Board members pressed Willis on how to broaden awareness and access districtwide. Mr. Pollock and others suggested school‑level ambassadors, improved communications and targeted outreach to remote neighborhoods; Willis said the Center will work with the district communications team on infographics and site visits.
Willis also shared a testimonial illustrating long‑term impact: a young mother the Parent Center helped six years ago now has a second‑grade child attending district schools, she said, as an example of the Center’s casework and community partnerships.
The board asked for follow‑up data on Parent Center metrics, including total annual visits and social‑worker caseloads; Willis said staff would assemble additional data requested by trustees.
The board received the presentation and took no formal action at the meeting; trustees praised the Center’s outreach and asked for continued reporting.
