Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center

Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center (WAFWC) supports survivors of domestic violence, children, youth, and families in Santa Cruz. Its services include peer counseling, safety planning, education, support groups, and assistance with domestic-violence and elder-abuse restraining orders. Support is offered in English and Spanish, with additional language assistance available.

Children and youth programs include Kids Club, a trauma-informed childcare program for children of participants, one-on-one mentoring, and healthy-relationships workshops. These services provide supportive settings where young people can build coping skills, resilience, communication skills, and healthy relationship knowledge.

Through Space for Change, WAFWC collaborates with the Conflict Resolution Center of Santa Cruz County on restorative practices focused on survivor safety, healing, accountability, and healthier relationships. The center is located at 303 Walnut Avenue in Santa Cruz. For related California homeless assistance resources and federal assistance resources, visit NHREA’s resource pages. See the official WAFWC website for current program details.