Walden Family Services is a private, non-profit California corporation founded in 1976 to provide quality care for abused & neglected children in residential group homes. In 1983, Walden transitioned into foster care, pioneering one of California's first "Treatment Foster Care" programs to offer children & teenagers an alternative to group home placements and was expanded in 1994 to include services for children with developmental disabilities. In 2001 Walden developed the Independent Futures program, providing services & support for pre- & post-emancipated foster youth; the Pregnant & Parenting Teen Program which supports pregnant & parenting teens both pre- & post-emancipation; and a program to educate the community, advocate for & safely place foster youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ). In 2002 the Riverside district office opened a program to serve dependent children with special health care needs. This program expanded to our Los Angeles office in 2006 & to our San Diego office in 2007. In 2008 Walden secured an adoption license expanding our services to become a full service adoption agency in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Kern and Ventura Counties. With a staff of over 60 highly trained social service professionals, licensed therapists, & support personnel, Walden Family Services provides services to more than 255 children daily in over 180 certified foster homes in Southern California.