Foster Care

Join us on Facebook.

Five Acres recruits, trains and certifies foster families who open their homes and their hearts to children with exceptional needs. Families receive ongoing training and in-home visits by Five Acres' professional staff to ensure they receive the special support and training they need. We know that fostering and adoption can be a rewarding experience and we want to help you make that difference in the lives of children. Download PDF Brochure.

Five Acres offers foster/adoptive parent training courses called PRIDE (Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education). PRIDE is the standard foster/adoption preparation class used by most agencies in Los Angeles County covering all required training material and is the first step toward certification. In addition to providing applicants with valuable information about the issues with which foster and adoptive children struggle, instructors assist applicants in completing all other certification requirements during the course. The four-week course is free. PRIDE classes are held every other month on:

Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

4401 Santa Anita Avenue, Suite 100
El Monte, CA 91731
Current schedule link>

Bring snacks. Please contact Ivon Favela at (626) 246-1728 or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Directions to Training: Office is on Santa Anita Avenue between the 10 and 210 freeways but closer to the 10.

From the 210 Freeway, exit at Santa Anita Avenue, Exit 32, and head south toward Arcadia to 4401 Santa Anita Avenue, Suite 100. You will pass Lower Azusa Rd.

From 10 Freeway, Exit 28 toward Santa Anita Avenue. Turn right onto Santa Anita, make a u-turn at Emery St. End at 4401 Santa Anita Ave, Suite 100.

From 605 FWY: Take the Lower Azusa Road exit toward Los Angeles St. Make slight right onto Lower Azusa Road. Turn left onto Santa Anita Avenue from Lower Azusa Road and go south to 4401 Santa Anita Avenue, Suite 100.

Changing Lives
Five Acres has been helping abused and neglected children since 1888 and has always maintained an excellent reputation for providing exceptional services and support to our families.

Interested in learning about or becoming a foster or adoptive parent?
To answer any questions you have or to help you get started, please call Ivon Favela. You can reach her at (626) 246-1728 or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Thank you for your interest in Five Acres and in helping the children and families we serve.

A Life Changed

Written in 2003 by Brianne,
a former foster care child

The year of 1995 seems so long ago, but in reality 1995 was only eight years ago. Eight years ago is when I traded my old life for a new life. In the story that follows you will be able to read about a young girl who was saved by Five Acres.

At the age of fifteen all everyone saw Brianne as was a troubled teen. She felt like no one understood her, and this was normal because all teens are misunderstood, RIGHT? Brianne felt angry because of her life situation. Brianne had come to the age where she actually understood her life, or at least she thought she did. She had no parents that she could call her own; Brianne lived with her aunt most of her life. Brianne began to feel very depressed about the way her life had turned out. Brianne blamed her mom for what she felt inside. From having all of this anger, Brianne had turned sour and cold. She showed no respect to her aunt, an aunt that had raised her most of her life.

As time passed on, it only became harder and harder for Brianne and her aunt to get along. Brianne was so angry inside; she did not want to live with her aunt any longer. One day a guy named Robert Allen and a woman named Pamela Lawson came out to see Brianne. Once they arrived at Brianne's house, Brianne was a mess. She was angry and full of hurtful feelings. Going into foster care was something that was very scary for her. She was afraid and felt alone. Robert Allen and Pamela Lawson were shocked to see such an angry teenager. Pamela asked to speak with Brianne alone. Brianne was full of tears and didn't want to talk. Pamela, knowing it was more hurt than anger that Brianne was showing, asked Brianne what type of things did she like to do. Pamela knowing how to work with troubled teens knew how to lighten the mood.

A week passed by and Brianne moved to Altadena to start her new life. Even though Brianne seemed to be a problem teenager, Pamela and Five Acres took a chance on her. Although she was depressed and angry, Pamela and Five Acres worked with her. Five Acres helped nurture Brianne back to life. They offered so many different ways to help all of the teens, by counseling once a week, having teen meetings, and just letting the foster children know that it was not always a bad thing to be in foster care. Things only got better for Brianne. Brianne had the opportunity to be a part of Five Acres. She had the great opportunity to work with Cara Stearns-Entz, Patty Old, Barbara Alexander, Robert Allen, and a lot of other great people. Because of these great opportunities, she took the right path instead of the wrong path. Brianne felt like a family living with the Lawsons. The Lawsons showed her love and affection, which was something she was missing. Five Acres introduced Brianne to many different types of programs to better her life. Brianne graduated from high school and went on to Pasadena City College to become a teacher. In April of 2002, Brianne took the CBEST test to get her credentials, and within two years will have her Bachelors Degree to teach in her own classroom. Brianne is in the independent living program that Five Acres offers. Five Acres has helped Brianne a great deal.

The short story that was just told was a brief story on how my life has changed. Five Acres helped me start to accomplish all of my hopes and dreams and become the woman I am today. Brianne is forever grateful. Brianne is looking forward to teaching a classroom full of little children, who are full of life. Five Acres is the hope that all children, teenagers, and foster parents need to keep faith in while taking this long hard journey together.