In March, Children’s Institute (CII) hosted an intimate gathering of local community members and supporters in honor of Women’s History Month.

As CII marks its 120th anniversary, building a stronger sense of community and connection feels especially meaningful. In 1906, founder Minnie Barton opened her home to support vulnerable women in Los Angeles—including young, single mothers with nowhere else to turn.

Today, that legacy endures. Nearly 90% of CII’s staff are women, and women and girls make up more than half of the 30,000 children and families served across its programs each year.

“Our work has always been shaped by the strength and leadership of women,” said Martine Singer, CII’s President and CEO.

Hosted by CII Board of Trustees members Mary Rohlich, Supriya Batra, and Megan Smith, When Everything Changes: Stories of Care, Healing, & Life-Saving Support created a space for CII program experts to share their experiences of helping women and children.

Megan Smith, who also moderated the conversation, reflected on what stood out most: CII’s ability to connect with families from the birth of their children through preschool, and into kindergarten, when intervention can have the greatest impact.

For families with children in school, Dr. Liliana Hernandez, CII’s Vice President of Community Behavioral Health & Youth Services, spoke to the urgency many face—particularly the fear and instability caused by immigration enforcement activities. “These pressures are compounding and affecting families at every level of their lives,” she said.

She recalled a 10-year-old student who had completed their intake assessment with CII but missed a follow-up appointment. When their clinician reached out, the child’s mother shared that she and her son had been deported and were now living in El Salvador—an experience that underscores how quickly families’ circumstances can change.

From a broader level, Singer emphasized that where a child grows up continues to shape their future in profound ways. “In Los Angeles County, a child born in Watts can have a life expectancy more than a decade shorter than a child born just 12 miles away in Beverly Hills,” she said.

These inequities, she noted, are not accidental—they are the result of longstanding policies. From redlining to disinvestment, entire communities have declined without access to opportunity, capital, and resources.

Earlier this year, Dr. Brandi Eichstedt, CII’s Director of Early Childhood Behavioral Health, launched Happy Mommies, Healthy Babies, a community-based maternal mental health program in South Los Angeles.

“If a mother is experiencing depression or anxiety and not receiving prenatal care, that stress carries over to her baby in utero which increases the likelihood that bonding will also be disrupted after the baby is born,” Dr. Eichstedt shared.

“Our Happy Mommies, Healthy Babies program is building bridges—working with mothers and their children from birth to age five by strengthening those parent-child connections through therapy, education, and coaching.”

In her closing, Megan Smith reflected on the enduring legacy of women supporting women. She spoke to the many roles women hold—as mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends—and how care and connection across generations have always been at the heart of deep impact.

“Communities of women supporting women is a tradition that stretches back millennia and yet remains deeply rooted in CII’s work today.”