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District extends grant-funded We Care mental-health services through 2026 after caregiver testimony
Summary
Acton-Agua Dulce Unified outlined an extension of its grant-funded We Care mental-health services through Dec. 31, 2026. Staff described caregiver workshops in English and Spanish, parents and a grandparent offered testimony about workshop impact and urged continued funding.
The Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District board voted Feb. 12 to continue the districts grant-funded We Care mental-health services through Dec. 31, 2026, district leaders said during the superintendents report.
"Thanks to their strong work and positive impact, these services have been extended through 12/31/2026," the superintendent said, announcing the extension and introducing the We Care team. Elizabeth Ortiz, the districts lead We Care social worker, described a series of caregiver workshops the program has offered in English and Spanish and listed upcoming dates at multiple sites.
Ortiz said the workshops covered topics including emotional well-being, suicide awareness and prevention, bullying prevention, and building resilience. "Again, my name is Elizabeth Ortiz and I am the LCSW for the We Care program," she told the board while introducing staff and planned events.
A grandparent who identified himself as a caregiver told the board the workshops had been personally valuable and urged the district to budget for the wellness program. He recounted a family suicide and substance-related deaths and said the workshops taught him concrete skills: "One pill can kill," he said, arguing that access to counseling and listening spaces can change students trajectories.
Board members responded with gratitude and support. Several thanked Ortiz and the We Care team for their work and described the program as a district priority; one member said the district had prepared contingency plans if funding were to lapse. The program team listed specific workshop dates and topics for parents and caregivers at Vasquez, High Desert and Meadowlark sites.
