Milestones - 1980's

Produced a series of five training films on foster care titled “The Ultimate Challenge”. The series won seven major film festival awards for excellence. Today the film is being used throughout the world as a model for foster and adoptive parents, social workers, and educators.

Directed a comprehensive survey of homeless teens in the United States. In collaboration with the Greenhouse shelter in Portland, Oregon, San Felipe recognized the urgent need for case management on homeless children. To address this problem, we came up with the then-novel approach of surveying homeless youth nationwide. Through this research, we found that the vast majority of homeless children were, in fact, products of an inadequate foster care system. Our findings, which were published in USA Today and other media channels, helped focus national attention on the growing problem of homeless children in America and served as a call for action to improve our nation's social services. The published findings helped focus international attention on addressing the problem of homelessness in America.

This work also led to the development of transitional living programs for homeless youth in Kansas City and San Diego. A more recent partnership has been with New Avenues for Youth in Portland, Oregon. An outgrowth of Northwest Advocates for Youth, which San Felipe co-founded in 1986, New Avenues for Youth provides self-help services for homeless and runaway children in the Portland area. The goal of New Avenues is to help move these young people from street life into a safe, independent lifestyle.

Co-sponsored a national child welfare conference at the University of San Diego with the Menninger Foundation.