LA County Department of Child and Family Services

MUSD's Safe Schools/Health Students Grant Initiative gets another boost from its newest partner. Angel Rodriguez, who comes from the LA County Department of Children and Family Servcies. Angel Servs of the Core Management Team because of her on-going work with a pilot program targeting the District's foster care population. The intent is to address the educational needs of foster youth and create a plan with out-stationed social workers to increase the graduation rate for these kids and prepare them for productive adulthood.

Angel has been an LA County social worker for 12 years, primarily working with abused and neglected children. She obtained her Masters of Science in Social Administration degree (the equivalent of MSW) at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. A California native and childhood resident of Montebello, Ms. Rodriguez took her undergraduate degree from Whittier College.

Angel comes from a large extended family. She says being in a helping profession comes naturally to her as her grandmother and mother modeled what giving back to community is all about. To work with youth was always a goal for her, but is finding that having an impact with teenagers, rather than elementary age children, has become somewhat of a passion for her.

While rewarding, working with marginalized youth can take its toll, so Angel takes care to have a varied and fulfulling private life. Her wife of 9 months, Kellie, is also in the field of social work and shares Angel's passion for justice. They have two dogs, love traveling, and Angel formed a small card-making business outside of her work for some creative diversity. She additionally tries to carve out some volunteer time with Free Arts for Abused Abused Children. She loves professional hockey and through a Californian, is a big fan of the Colorado Avalanche.

Angel Rodriguez says working with Montebello's new grant initiative is like coming home again and is delighted to be back in the community. The District is pleased to have her back as well.