Welcome to the YWCA
The services offered by the YWCA Silicon Valley enable women, children, and families to learn, grow, and prosper. These programs, which have become a model for social-service efforts nationwide, address the fundamental human issues underlying poverty, violence, and family dysfunction. Of the over 18,000 women, children and men reached by YWCA’s programs each year, 79% were children or teens and 65% were racial or ethnic minorities.
To ensure that everyone can benefit from our services, we will guide you in finding funding source information for our Child Care services, our other programs and services are offered free or on a sliding-scale basis. We will never let the economic challenges of residing in our Valley be a limit to those who need us most. Because when everyone has a chance, the entire world succeeds.
Funding for our programs and services is obtained from individual donors, our fundraising events, fees for services, and through government, corporate, and foundation grant funding. The YWCA Silicon Valley is a 501(c) (3) non-profit social-services agency serving all of Santa Clara County.
Education and Empowerment
Child Care: We deliver quality and affordable childcare through our licensed facilities to more than 150 children a year. We serve children from 6 weeks to 12 years of age. Our community-based childcare curriculum focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) and also includes racial justice education.
TechGYRLS®: We engage girls with opportunities to increase their skills and confidence in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. We provide over 300 underserved girls, ages 6 to 18, with an empowering, safe, girls-only, hands-on environment where they can build projects, explore careers and be inspired by women working in the STEM fields.
Healing Center
Clinic and School-Based Counseling: We provide counseling services which improve the emotional, mental, and behavioral wellness of community members. We offer short and long-term counseling to clients of all ages on a sliding-fee scale. Services are offered onsite at our San Jose and Sunnyvale locations and at various schools in the San Jose Unified School District.
Training: We offer graduate-level internships through our Healing Center, providing specialized training opportunities in trauma-informed therapy with adults, families, and children to build skills and confidence as a therapist. With the guidance of supportive, available, and empowering supervisors, interns have space and safety to explore their interests and develop skills and confidence with a broad array of client issues within a variety of populations. We offer options including school-based, clinic and group work and crisis intervention. Our goal is to train new and growing therapists to provide the highest quality of service to our community as we bring healing to our world.
First Offender Prostitution Program (FOPP): Individuals who are first-time offenders of soliciting a sex act are referred to the YWCA Silicon Valley by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office and are offered a chance to complete this diversion program, which includes a day of education on the negative impact and consequences of soliciting sex. Fees paid by FOPP attendees go toward the cost of funding VALOR.
Early Intervention Prostitution Program (EIPP) — VALOR: Our VALOR program is designed to provide intervention when individuals are apprehended for the first time for offering sex acts for money. The intensive, eleven-week program includes life-skills workshops and support groups with the goal of healing trauma and empowering attendees to “break out of the life.” Attendees are referred through the District Attorney’s office.
Support Services
Sexual Assault: We help minimize the traumatic aftermath of sexual assault and promote safety, mobility and freedom from abuse for all people. Services include: 24-hour crisis line for survivors, family members, and friends; medical advocacy; legal advocacy; counseling and prevention programs for children, teens and the general community.
Domestic Violence: We empower our diverse community to live free from domestic violence through the provision of safety, support services, and self-empowerment. Services include: 24-hour crisis line; counseling; emergency shelter; legal advocacy; safety planning and domestic violence education.
Human Trafficking: Through education and engagement opportunities we provide our community with the necessary tools to identify and report on human trafficking incidents. Additionally, the YWCA provides advocacy, case management, and therapeutic services for human trafficking survivors, including CSEC (commercially sexually exploited children).
Education & Outreach: YWCA Support Services offers prevention education services to schools, youth-serving agencies, community organizations, colleges/universities, business, and social services agencies in Santa Clara County. Education programs and prevention information prepare students, teachers, parents, and professionals to recognize, de-escalate, or prevent abusive behaviors. This past year we educated over 9,000 school-age children with age-appropriate sexual assault awareness and prevention programs throughout Silicon Valley. For more information about workshops and presentations, connect with the Education & Outreach team at 408-295-4011 ext. 379 or e-mail CommunityOutreach@ywca-sv.org.
YWCA Scholarships
Each year, the YWCA Silicon Valley presents two scholarships at the Tribute to Women Awards dinner in the spring. Click the links below to see the criteria and download the applications.
The deadline to apply is March 31, 2015.
2015 Women AHEAD Scholarship – Criteria and Application
2015 Susanne B. Wilson Scholarship – Criteria and Application