Reaching Goals

TenaWhen Tena Worku’s family emigrated from Ethiopia to California in 1999, she had to learn English on the fly as a high school student. That adaptability has served her well as a single mother of three young children. Tena was referred to Children’s Council in 2005, when her first son was an infant and she was a student at San Francisco State. Tena qualified for child care payment assistance and was able to continue her studies at SF State while working part-time.

Over the years, welcoming her second and third children, plus her semester-by-semester schedule changes, Tena had to navigate a steady stream of revised contracts and other paperwork in order to maintain her payment support. Through it all, her Children’s Council Family Service Specialists made her responsibilities easy to understand, made sure payments arrived on time, and offered moral support that she’ll never forget.

Tena recently graduated with a BA in Criminal Justice and works as a Sheriff’s Cadet. She has aspirations of a career with the CIA. With her children in reliable care, and with the financial assistance to pay for it, Tena never had to give up on her dream of graduating or her faith that she is creating a better future for her family.

“I’ve cried with gratitude many times. Children’s Council has always been there for me.” - Tena Worku