Los Angeles County gang reduction project
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Within Los Angeles County Latinos are disproportionately involved with gangs relative to the proportion of Latinos within the Los Angeles County population. Children of low-income Hispanic single-mothers and immigrant parents living in areas of concentrated poverty face multiple risk factors to gang involvement. By improving income levels these parents will be able to better provide for their children financially. A reduction in hours work as a result of improved earnings potential, along with improved parental capacity will in turn help to improve educational attainment and reduce delinquency among Latino youth. Project outcomes include an increase in skills and knowledge to improve earnings potential, improved access to and knowledge of available resources, community members that are empowered to create their own employment opportunities, and improved parental capacity to provide the structure and support needed for inter-generational upward mobility. While progress towards these outcomes has been made, project outcomes have not yet been achieved due to delays related to capacity limits. Continued partner and community engagement as well as improving capacity by expanding resources will be needed to successfully attain outcomes. (Author abstract)