We hope that this message finds you and your families safe. At this time, we want to express our sympathies to those directly and indirectly affected by the wildfires, and acknowledge that this unprecedented event will have the greatest impact on children, and children with disabilities and their families. We remain committed to being available to you to support your advocacy and disability related needs.
If you face a disruption in your child’s special education and related services, services by nonpublic agencies, or experience a crisis or have urgent/immediate needs, please do not hesitate to contact our offices for advocacy assistance. Every IEP should provide for an emergency circumstances program to ensure the delivery of special education and related services for those who experience a disruption of more than 10 days of school. Your Regional Center service coordinator should be available to assist you with urgent needs.
We have compiled the following list of resources and information below. We are working to update this list and would also appreciate any information or referrals you have to add to these resources.
Sincerely,
The team at Hirji, Chau & Rodriguez, LLP
Regional Centers
South Central Regional Center: Please continue to contact them at (213) 744-7000
Westside Regional Center: Please continue to contact them at (213) 744-7000
- Regional Center clients should reach out to their service coordinators about any needs, including assistance with hotels and childcare needs.
- If you are unable to reach your service coordinator, please call Westside RegionalCenter at (310) 258-4000.
- A list of resources will also be posted on their website shortly, so please check here.
North LA Regional Center
- Regional Center clients should reach out to service coordinators about any needs, including shelter and food bank needs.
- If you are unable to reach your service coordinator, please use this 24-hour phone line for urgent issues: (818) 778-1900.
Lanterman Regional Center
- For any emergency after hours, please call: (213) 383-1300 and follow the recorded instructions .
School Districts:
LAUSD
- Mental Health Support: Call the Student and Family Wellness Resource Line at (213) 241-3840 between 7 AM and 6 PM, Monday through Friday
- Access new information at:
https://www.lausd.org
https://www.instagram.com/laschools/
- Transportation:
- Metro GoPass: Los Angeles Unified students can access free transportation via the Metro GoPass Program. Contact your child’s school site to request a card.
- LAUSD Family Resources click here
Santa Monica-Malibu USD: The below resources can also be viewed here. This list is continuously updated so please view the live link for the most updated version (both English and Spanish versions available)
- Mental Health Support: Hazel Health is providing virtual therapy to all SMMUSD students, please access additional information here
- Free Childcare Services: Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club is offering free childcare services from 10 AM to 5 PM on January 10, 2025 at the Mar Vista Gardens Club (4901 Marionwood Dr., Culver City, CA 90230). Non-members need to register here
Burbank USD:
- Childcare Services:
- Boys and Girls Club is offering childcare to students who are currently participating in ASES, BGC, and ATB childcare. Childcare is available on January 10th from 7:30AM to 6:00PM. Download the flyer here.
General Resources:
Mental Health:
- Providence St. John’s is offering crisis counseling to families with MediCal or who are uninsured. Call 310-829-8733 for more information.
- Child Therapy Center of Los Angeles is offering free therapy for families who lost their homes in the recent California fires. 1849 Sawtelle Blvd Suite 620, Los Angeles 90025. To apply, please email [email protected] For more information call (424) 268-2762
- North Star Families – Emergency, free mental health support available to adults, teenagers, and children, to all impacted by the multiple fires in Los Angeles. Dr. Wendy Denham and team are available on phone or zoom. Please text 310-431-1935
- Family Service of Santa Monica is offering brief intervention to anyone impacted by the wildfires, specifically the Palisades fire. Our brief intervention is 1-2 sessions, predominantly focused at linking individuals to resources. These sessions would be free of charge and SM Participants would be prioritized. Call 310-451-9747 to get connected.
MALAN Fire & Wind Storm Resources: Please see here for an updated list of available resources, sorted by city
YMCA:
- Free Childcare:
- ALL YMCA locations are offering childcare for children of first responders, essential workers and children of families who were displaced, evacuated or lost property, or who cannot attend school because their school has closed for the day.
- This program is being offered at no-cost.
- Children must be at least 4 years and 9 months old to attend the program and must be in grades TK-8th.
- Space is limited. Contact [email protected] to learn more and sign up.
- Free Access for Teens:
- All operating Y’s have open their doors for teens ages 12-18* years old. For more information, call or stop by your local YMCA center.
- If you do not have a teen membership with the LA Y, please have your parent or legal guardian complete and submit our online waiver.
- Immediate Suport and Access Hubs/Community Access to Y Services for All
- ALL YMCA centers are offering showers, wifi, food, water, and essential items
- ALL non-affected locations are opening their doors with free day passes
- Creating welcoming spaces for:
- Families needing a safe haven
- Community members seeking connection
- Those requiring basic necessities (charging phones, fresh water, etc.)
- Anyone needing mental health support or resource guidance
The YMCA has social workers that are ready to provide immediate support to youth and families and help connect them to resources bit.ly/FireSupportLA
Shelter:
- Shelters:
- Westwood Recreation Center: 1350 S. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
- Pasadena Civic Auditorium: 300 E. Green St, Pasadena, CA 91101
- Airbnb:
- Free, temporary housing for evacuees
- Request assistance by filling out the form here.
- Hotels in Santa Monica with reduced rates for evacuees can be found here.
- Beyond Karate: Beyond Karate’s dojo is open as an evacuation zone. Please call them at (310) 896-8461 for further information.
Transportation:
- Big Blue Bus: :
- Suspended fare collection for all riders ** Big Blue Bus will resume fare collection beginning on Tuesday, January 21
- Offering a shuttle service to the Westwood Shelter; shuttle is located on Lincoln and Montanna and will pick up every hour on the hour until 9 PM
- Metro: Offering free rides all days
- Metro Alerts: For the latest Metro alerts on rail and bus line closures, visit Metro Alerts.
- LA DASH – Fares are currently free.
- Uber: Free rides up to $40 to active shelters (code: WILDFIRE25)
- Note: The discount does not apply to tips and cannot be combined with other promotions/discounts. Instructions for applying promo codes can be found here
- Lyft: $25 vouchers valid for 2 trips until midnight on January 15, 2025 (code: CAFIRERELIEF25)
Childcare:
- Care Camp Los Angeles County Parks & Recreation
When: Monday to Friday, January 13 to January 31, 2025.
Ages: Youth Camps Age 5-12: 8 am to 5 pm
Teen Camps Age 13-17: 8 am to 7 pm
Locations:
- Pamela Park: 2236 Goodall Avenue, Duarte CA, 91010
- Arcadia Park: 405 South Santa Anita Avenue, Arcadia CA 91007
- LA County Arboretum: 301 N Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007
- Crescenta Valley Park: 3901 Dunsmore Ave, La Crescenta, CA 91214
- Descanso Gardens: 1418 Descanso Dr, La Canada-Flintridge, CA 91011
- They will have registration packets available for parents and caretakers. To review the registration packet, click here.
Food Assistance: Please use this map to find the closest food pantry near you
Resources on Speaking to Children about/after Wildfires:
- https://lnenadal.yourweb.csuchico.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Your-Playbook-on-How-to-Support-Children-Youth-Families-During-After-a-Wildfire.V2.pdf
- From LAUSD:
- From SMMUSD:
- Wildfire Information and Parenting Resources on trauma
- Parent Guidelines for Helping Children Impacted by Wildfire
- Tips for Parents on Media Coverage during Fires
- Helping Children After a Wildfire – Tips for Caregivers and Teachers
- Recovering Emotionally from a Residential Fire
- Resources for Parents Navigating the California Wildfires
- UCLA Pritzker Center:
- Replacing Personal Documents After a Natural Disaster, click here
From the Westside Regional Center List
- Disability Information & Access Hotline: 1-888-677-1199
- Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies Disability & Disaster Hotline: (800) 626-4959 – hotline is available for intake calls 24/7 to provide referrals, guidance, technical assistance and resources and multilingual information is available, as well as a videophone option; [email protected], http://disasterstrategies.org/hotline
Other Resources
- https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/inclusive-preparedness-resources.html
- Disability Disaster Access & Resource Centers: Find a center by county here; those impacted by a public safety power shutoff event and rely on power to operate life-sustaining medical devices, a center can assist with costs associated with transportation, short-term housing, loaner back-up battery.
- Disability Rights California’s confidential intake line: (800) 776-5746 available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (not Wednesday) from 9 AM to 3 PM